Newsletter January 2014 - the Global Platform Jordan

January 2014

Social Media & Marketing training for CSOs Global Platform Jordan conducted a Social Media and Marketing training for three Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from Zarqa, Rusaifa area. The CSO’s represented three different organizations, working with human rights, children, women, and youth.

The main focus of the two-day training was to explore the significance of social media, and to understand which benefits CSO's can achieve from promoting their organizations through such platforms. The understanding of this topic was obtained through both group discussions, and individual reflection. This way the participants worked on defining, firstly, their target group and, secondly, which use of social media platforms will be most favorable for just exactly their objectives. Additionally the training gave an introduction to marketing theories and methods. The purpose was to understand the importance of different strategies in promoting the CSO and its projects. In conclusion every CSO's Facebook page was assessed by both participants and trainers. The group's feedback led to awareness of need for improvement, according to the topics undergone in both the training and the debates.

Foundational Leadership: Building capacity and social ties Partway through January, Global Platform held an intensive training for youth leaders from ARI program partners in Russeifa, Jordan. The 28 participants represented three different organizations, and even though they come from the same place, and all work for social change, they initially felt like three separate groups. However the four days of teamwork build new ties, and by the time the participants received their certificates, they had become one unified group.

January 2014

The youth leaders were trained in Foundational Leadership. The intention with this training was to provide the participants with skills to create campaigns, focused on the main issues that they face in their own community. Prior to the training, the organizations had held sessions for their youth groups on topics such as social responsibility, leadership theory, communication, planning, motivation, and conflict management. They wanted to make sure, that their young members were capable of taking on the responsibility and long-term commitment that is required in the extensive process of making a campaign for social change.

Although they started as three disparate groups, the participants ended up acting and feeling unified. Alaa Murshead, age 23, stated “People always think that we [the three youth groups] are not able to actually work together. They think, that since we are three organizations, we should do three campaigns. After this training, we can show them that we are three organizations, but we are one family who want to make a change in our home.” Mohammad Foudeh, age 22, agreed and added that he felt he had got new brothers and sisters to cooperate with in Russeifa. Prior to the Foundational Leadership training, Mohammed El Jazzi, age 24, had attented the Youth Needs Assessment training, and especially the trainers were the reason for why he came back to Global Platform Jordan:“I was really inspired by the trainer. She made me feel welcome at the Platform like it was my space, and she made me feel like I have the capacity to make changes I never expected. All the trainers made me feel motivated.”

The basic Foundational Leadership training is the first step in a three-part plan, where the following training will be focused on mobilization, and the final training will be a Campaigning workshop. Subsequently, the group will create a campaign for change in Russeifa, aiming at mobilizing 90 community youth leaders in the area.

January 2014

Global Change ToT: Training the trainers of trainers In January five staff members form Global Platform Jordan flew all the way to Copenhagen in Denmark to attend a Global Change Training of Trainers: Khadije and Rabie from the campaigning cluster, Mahmoud and Parvaneh from the Governance & HRBA cluster, and Souad who is the Training Coordinator. The main focus of the training was the understanding of Theory of Change, which is the foundation of ActionAid's work, both locally and internationally. All participants were already part of the Training4Change staff, and therefore well familiar with ActionAid's understanding of capacity building and its role in fighting poverty. Consequently, the trainings could work more in-depth with these and other core aspects of ActionAid’s mission to build up solidarity, in order to improve global societies. Other aspects included campaigning and empowering youth and women.

Parvaneh from Global Platform Jordan highlighted the meeting with trainers and staff members from the other Global Platforms as one of the most inspiring and interesting parts of participating in the Global Change ToT: “Specifically, it was interesting to learn, how the trainings are developed and conducted in a country such as Myanmar, which is in a transition phase, or hearing about creativity and social change in El Salvador, and receiving input on working with governance in Kenya and Tanzania.”

Parvaneh regarded the ToT as a way to reinforce solidarity across the Global Platforms: “The training gave us an opportunity to build a platform to continuously share experiences, talk about challenges and inspire each other. The course itself and the meeting between participants were a step towards building solidarity around the world, even if a small move.

No step is too small when walking the long walk towards justice and ending injustice”.

On return, the participating staff conveyed their new knowledge to the rest of their colleagues, and consequently this knowledge will be contextualized, according to the Arab Region in order to inspire youth in the area.

January 2014

Training of Trainers: Same same, but different Currently the Platform is hosting a regional Training of Trainers that differs from previous ToT's, both in terms of content and language. Most modules are only recently designed, and this time the language is in Arabic. Three trainers conduct all sessions and 19 participants have arrived from Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Syria. The training runs from the end of January and for two weeks they will live and learn on the Platform.

Ultimately the participants will have the opportunity to deliver a 4-hour training session themselves, based on the set of skills and knowledge acquired throughout the training.

January 2014

The Global Platform is welcoming two new interns In February, Global Platform Jordan welcomed two new interns, Julie and Clara. Julie will work in the training and event cluster and Clara will work with intern and extern communication. Both Danish girls are very interested in social work and the Middle East, and the internships are part of their education.

UPCOMING TRAININGS AND EVENTS 8.-9 & 15.-16. February: Djuco training 13. February – 7. March: Global Volunteers training 6.-8 & 13.-15. March: Video Campaigning 10.-21 March: Doctivist 24. February: Cultural Night at the Global Platform Jordan

January 2014

LET’S COOPERATE! Global Platform Jordan is one of ActionAid’s training hubs for empowerment and activism.

We provide innovative and empowering trainings for young individuals, organisations and youth groups who wish to take positive actions in their societies.

You are always welcome to contact us; email: globalplatformjordan@ms.dk

www.globalplatforms.org/jordan www.facebook.com/globalplatformjordan www.youtube.com/globalplatforms