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Training
Manifesto Training
The new candidates for the 2004-2006 Shadow Youth Council had their first event on Saturday 23 October. This event was a training day organised to assist them in preparing for the forthcoming elections.
The candidates were given background on an election campaign from Monica McWilliams, former leader of the Women’s Coalition party as part of McWilliams Associates training organization.
Candidates were then given the opportunity to think about the issue they would like to include on the ballot paper under their name (in place of a political party).
The candidates also looked at creating a poster giving information on the issue/s they will be working on to display in schools in their electoral area. They also had the opportunity to discuss the places they could display posters and how they could campaign and lobby to get votes.
Overall it was a very interesting and useful day giving candidates the information they require for a successful election campaign.
This training was funded by Fermanagh Local Strategy Partnership through measure 3.2 of the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (Peace ll).
Committee Skills Training
In order to assist the new group with their work as Shadow Councillors and Delegates, a committee skills training day was held on Saturday 8 January in the Clinton Centre.
Group members were taught the importance of listening through a few fun games and activities. This involved trying to grasp the content of a message by lip reading and trying to draw a pattern of shapes when they are described by somebody else.
There was also some information on the workings of a group, the format of an Agenda, members of a committee and how to Chair a meeting and take minutes.
The group also had the opportunity to meet with Nigel Williams, Children’s Commissioner for Northern Ireland who travelled to Enniskillen to tell the group about NICCY’s Shout campaign. NICCY (Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People) are interested in finding out what the top priorities are for young people in Northern Ireland. This mirrors the comment card system used by FSYC to assess the issues young people in Co Fermanagh would like the Shadow Youth Council to work on.
This event was funded by Fermanagh Local Strategy Partnership through measure 3.2 of the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (Peace II).
Strategic Planning
In order to ascertain what the top issues are effecting the youth sector in Fermanagh FSYC send out Comment Cards to all post primary students in Fermanagh. Young people vote for the various issues they feel strongly about and the cards are then collected and colated by members and staff of FSYC. It is from these results that the Youth Councillors plan their work around. To check out the last comment card results go to the 'Voters Views' link.
In addition to planning their work the Youth Councillors attend a workshop on FSYC policies including the Constitiution. To see the full review of this event go to 'Residentials'.
Inside the Council
In order to help the Shadow Councillors and Delegates to understand the functions, responsibilities and various other roles of the District Council an Inside the Council training day was held in the Clinton Centre, Enniskillen on Saturday 23rd April.
The day started off by giving everyone a brief overview of the political context in Europe, United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and how this relates to the local structure. This was followed by a profile of Fermanagh. Did you know Fermanagh is the largest Local government District in geographical terms?
It was then explained that the District Council has three main Functions. Direct service provision, a representative role, and a consultative role. The shadow councilors and delegates were then divided into groups and were given cut up cards with a responsibility on each card and they had to match the responsibility to the department within the Council. Once they had that task completed it was explained that every department has a committee and that committee takes responsibility for the functions within their department.
The next stage of the training was the decision making process, the procedures and lines of communication within the Council. Afterwards the Shadow Councillors and Delegates really came into their own. They were divided into groups and had to choose a topic from the comment card analysis and storyboard a campaign to hypothetically lobby the Council. It was more like Stars in their Eyes as we had some beautiful renditions of Queens Bohemian Rhapsody.
The highlight of the day was when the Councillors came. Cllr Johnston and Cllr Irvine were there, this gave everyone an opportunity to ask the Councillors all the burning questions they had always wanted to ask but never had the opportunity.
ANTI-BULLYING TRAINING DAY
Members of FSYC took part in anti-bullying training day on Tuesday 16 August.
Participants looked at all aspects of bullying including what is bullying, why pupils do not tell and the characteristics of a bully and someone who is being bullied. The group even attempted to design a school where bullying would not happen and looked at ways of preventing bullying including; Ant-bullying policies; Increased supervision at break and lunch; Support for pupils; Training for teachers; Security cameras; Class sizes; Better methods of punishment; School mentors; Looking at interschool relations.
The training was delivered by June Neill of the WELB and was funded by the Big Lottery Fund.
‘Know your Rights’
FSYC members took part in a ‘know your rights’ training day on Thursday 11 August.
The training was based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the child and was delivered by staff of the Children’s Law Centre.
Participants looked at the history of young people’s rights and the rights that are most relevant to them and young people in this area.
The training day was funded by Fermanagh LSP through Measure 3.2 of the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (Peace II).
Effective Consultation
Twelve members of FSYC gathered in the Curtain Room of the Clinton Centre on Saturday 21 January for a training day on effective consultation.
The training was delivered by Tara Haughian of Second Nature who used many different methods to engage with the group.
The group considered why consultation is carried out and the conditions which must be available to make it happen. Members also had the opportunity to be creative by drawing aspects about themselves, where they come from and their position within FSYC.
Members looked at types of consultation with young people from tokenistic consultation which is only carried out so a group can say they have consulted with young people to really effective consultation where young people design the consultation, deliver it and inform adults about the decisions.
Group members looked at the advantages and disadvantages of different methods of consultation e.g. public meetings, focus groups and questionnaires.
Overall the day was very informative and enjoyable and left the young people involved thinking about the types of consultation FSYC is involved in.
This training day was funded by Fermanagh Local Strategy Partnership through measure 3.2 of the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (Peace II).
Media Training
Media training took place At the Ulster American Folk Park. Training was taken by Channel 56. To see the full review go to Residentials.
Peace and Reconciliation Training
This training took place on residential at the Derrygonnelly Feild Studies centre. Youth Councillors took part in a number of different workshops which took on creative themes from atr to dance looking at what and who we are and the various causes of conflict in our society. To read the full review of this event see the Residentials section.
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