Hello everybody…
To match our new website we have also decided to move our blog.

You can find the new blog here.

Please update your bookmarks!

Love,
The Mosaic Team

The year of 07/08 is coming to an end and in august CISV International assembles in Florence to have its annual international meeting. So as you can imagine, there are a few things to do before everything is ready and we can present our past year to the board at the same time as we ask to be given (entrusted with) new responsibilities for the coming year.

I was just at the International Office in Newcastle to work out the new mosaic programme goals and indicators together with our educational officer Kiran Hingorani. I also discussed the administrative procedures with our admin officer Helen Pringle. Two great and productive days. Newcaste was showing his or her best side as well.

But I will try already now to make a summary of the year:

To start off with, IMC have met all strategic objectives of the committee, as said in the plan for 07/08. This includes
- Continuous support to hosting NAs
- Increasing hosting NAs
- Maintain NGO database
- Increase the number of qualified project coordinators

The plan of the year was to consciously move from ‘performing’ back to ‘norming’ to ensure that everyone in the committee shared the same picture of the vision of Mosaic. That job was very successful during AIM 2007, which allowed us to again during the year move up to ‘performing’ again. This applies specially to the training field and we hoosted two big trainings in the americas, USA and Brazil bringing many potental trainers and project staff together. Adding to that we have had seven first time and return visits to chapterns and NA’s. As a result of the trainings we’ve done the amount of approved projects have increased and for the two first rounds of proposals we have 23 approved projects. It should be compared with 27 alltogether for the whole of 2007. At AIM we will probably be beyond that. Worth noting is that the quality of projects doesn’t differ anything in the differet regions. Mosaic, as a programme, is capable of showing increased growth and quality worldwide.

However, lots of focus has been put into creating good ‘norming’ instruments during the year which garantuees certain standards and delivery. Here, most developments have been on support and approval of projects as well as training tools. This allow us to have more unity in our feedback to project coordinators and chapters. The job to get more efficient on this feedback is ongoing. On the support and approval development we are piloting, during all of 2008, a project to balance growth and quality. We are, at this point, half way there, and at AIM necessary changes will be made to ajdust the original idea to our present situation.

Lastly, I would like to highlight the new IMC website at resources. Our communication with project coordinators, mosaic trainers and chapters now have an excellent comunication channel, that will increase the quality of our communication of course. And adding to that, I hope you will read the Mosaic Magazine : )

A big thank you to all project coordinators out in the chapters, to all volunteers helping out with training and support and to my committee-members, who are hard working, committed and constantly ready to take on leadership, when their chair might lack the time, which sometimes happens.

//Per

As I wrote before, there are projects being withdrawn from the pool, but still we are very successful this year. A list of onging projects says it all;

Vienna, Austria – Education for National Solidarity (Outreach, Social work)
Klagenfurt, Austria – Crosspoint Alpe Adria (Intercultural understanding)
Medellin, Colombia – Living Planet (Climate Change)
Quito, Ecuador – Quito Painted in Green (Resources & Climate Change)
Cairo, Egypt – Lose Yourself in your Country (National identity and awareness)
Cairo, Egypt – Co-CitYzen (Intercultural understanding) {with CISV Denmark}
Budapest, Hungary – Orphanage Project (Integration & Understanding)
Jakarta, Indonesia – Save Our Coral Reefs (Environment, Disaster Risk Reduction)
Milan, Italy – Oro Blu (Water Resources & Environment)
Florence, Italy – Cacao Meravigliao (Fair Trade)
Modena, Italy – Torture Never Stops (Torture / Human Rights)
Padova, Italy – The JB IT Mosaic Project (Multiculturalism)
Padova, Italy – Conflict & Local Community (Conflict Resolution)
Bacolod, Philippines – Youth Marine & Wildlife Camp (Biodiversity & Enivornment)
Manila, Philippines – Justice League (Justice System)
Manila, Philippines – Children’s Library (Children’s Rights)
Manila, Philippines – Taklobo Part 2 (Marine Ecosystems, Environment)
Filipino National Mosaic Committee – Minicamp (Environment)
Lisbon, Portugal – Getting in’ to Immigration (Immigration & Multiculturalism)
Lisbon, Portugal – Fighting Prejudice (Discrimination & Prejudice)
Lisbon, Portugal – Promoting Human Rights (Human Rights)
Madrid, Spain – X+4U2 - Christmas for you too (Outreach to marginalised groups)
Jacksonville, USA – Faces of Jacksonville (Multiculturalism & Diversity)

//Per

Chris, our member from Australia has worked hard to get a new website up for us. Now it’s here, check it out on www.cisv.org/mosaic

Next week I am going off to Newcastle and the CISV International office there. I’ll meet withMosaic admoinistrator Helen Pringle and with our educational advisor, Kiran Hingorani. I look forward to two full days of efficient work.

Tomorrow is the deadline for Mosaic projects to send in their proposals if they want to start their projects during summer. We have quite many withdrawls as it seems. I am not really sure of why, something we will look into this summer when the committee meets in Italy.

For now,

//Per

We talk often about skills in CISV. And I like to show references to other bodies and other organisations to show that what we do in CISV is not something we make up ourselves. See for example earlier posting on life long learning. I mean, members of the scouts think that Baden Powell invented non-formal education. CISVers tend to think that Doris Allen came up with peace education. Well, neither is the case.

To continue with this mission, I want to share the following, on life skills, from Unicef webpage. Its a list of life skills. Well, as suggested, there is no definitive list of life skills. The list below includes the psychosocial and interpersonal skills generally considered important. Though the list suggests these categories are distinct from each other, many skills are used simultaneously in practice. Ultimately, the interplay between the skills is what produces powerful behavioural outcomes…

Communication and Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal communication skills

Verbal/Nonverbal communication
Active listening
Expressing feelings; giving feedback (without blaming) and receiving feedback

Negotiation/refusal skills
Negotiation and conflict management
Assertiveness skills
Refusal skills

Empathy
Ability to listen and understand another’s needs and circumstances and express that understanding

Cooperation and Teamwork
Expressing respect for others’ contributions and different styles
Assessing one’s own abilities and contributing to the group

Advocacy Skills
Influencing skills & persuasion
Networking and motivation skills

Decision-Making and Critical Thinking Skills

Decision making / problem solving skills
Information gathering skills
Evaluating future consequences of present actions for self and others
Determining alternative solutions to problems
Analysis skills regarding the influence of values and attitudes of self and others on motivation

Critical thinking skills
Analyzing peer and media influences
Analyzing attitudes, values, social norms and beliefs and factors affecting these
Identifying relevant information and information sources

Coping and Self-Management Skills

Skills for increasing internal locus of control
Self esteem/confidence building skills
Self awareness skills including awareness of rights, influences, values, attitudes, rights, strengths and weaknesses
Goal setting skills
Self evaluation / Self assessment / Self-monitoring skills

Skills for managing feelings
Anger management
Dealing with grief and anxiety
Coping skills for dealing with loss, abuse, trauma

Skills for managing stress
Time management
Positive thinking
Relaxation techniques

This weekend I am in Lörrach, Germany to do a first time visit and try to get Mosaic started here. We are in a house close to the borders to Switzerland and France, the sun is shining outside and we just finished the morning workshop on Mosaic characteristics. We started yesterday night by discussing world development from 50 years ago until today, linking it to the Lörrach everyday life. We went on to identify skills and knowledge that young people need to have in order to grow up and live here today. This afternoon we are going to try to develop a project idea, based on what we discussed this morning. I am eager to see what can come out of this. Now we are on a lunch break, and then I will try to get out for a short walk. One has to enjoy the sun as well.

I am used to have bigger groups on workshops, but here we are only four participants. However, the chapter is small and we have to make sure they have a project idea that is feasible for them. I am positive we will see a project here later this year.

//Per

The need to equip young people with necessary key competences and to improve educational attainment levels is an integral part of the European Union integrated Guidelines for Growth and Jobs. The document that sets what these competences are is called Key competences for lifelong learning. Its a fantastic document in many senses. One aspect is that all the identified competences are divided into Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes. Wooha! For all MOsaic educators this would be a great document to read.

Let me give you an example related to the Mosaic objective “To empower participants to take initiatives in their community”:

Competence: Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship

Definition:
Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship refers to an individual’s ability to turn ideas into action. It includes creativity, innovation and risk-taking, as well as the ability to plan and manage projects in order to achieve objectives. This supports individuals, not only in their everyday lives at home and in society, but also in the workplace in being aware of the context of their work and being able to seize opportunities, and is a foundation for more specific skills and knowledge needed by those establishing or contributing to social or commercial activity. This should include awareness of ethical values and promote good governance.

Essential knowledge, skills and attitudes related to this competence:

Necessary knowledge includes the ability to identify available opportunities for personal, professional and/or business activities, including “bigger picture” issues that provide the context in which people live and work, such as a broad understanding of the workings of the economy, and the opportunities and challenges facing an employer or organisation. Individuals should also be aware of the ethical position of enterprises, and how they can be a force for good, for example through fair trade or through social enterprise.

An entrepreneurial attitude is characterised by initiative, pro-activity, independence and innovation in personal and social life, as much as at work. It also includes motivation and determination to meet objectives, whether personal goals, or aims held in common with others, including at work.

Not so bad, huh?

//Per