Workshops are different
Some backgrounds
Workshops are different. Different from lectures, seminars, conferences, and formal
education. They are also different from theatre, or playing games. (See table under)
This does not mean, that workshops are better than lectures or theatre or conferences. That
depends strongly on the backgrounds. Also, lectures can be a part of a workshop; workshops
can be part of a conference or enrich formal education; games have their place in workshops
and workshops may use theatre techniques as role-plays.
Still the introduction of workshops in the field of education was a major landslide. The main
reason for that is that workshops are process oriented. It is not any longer the contents or
formal (authority) relationships that dictate form and methods. It is the interaction between
people, expressed and facilitated in such a way, that experience and knowledge are shared
optimally.
In Central and Eastern Europe, this form of education only started to be developed recently after
the political changes in 1989. There are probably many reasons for this. Important ones
are certainly:
 the authoritarian basic attitude in the centralist marxist-leninist oriented societies;
 the high value attached to "real scientific" methods and data;
 information = power. Having information gave more grip on the situation, could be
supporting to your power position, or endangering it when others had it. Information
was widely used as a political power tool;
 information and education were used to manipulate; sometimes openly, sometimes
under cover. This last point made many people loosing their faith in others - people
thought in conspiracies and were sceptic about "good will".
Decentralisation, difference of opinion (especially on "hard and objective data"), soft human
approaches, spreading of information, empowering the powerless, taking everybody serious,
belief in basic good will and all these other things were not part of the political culture mostly
they were even openly considered to be a threat. This happened both in official
structures (working brigades, party, state, mass organisations) and in the informal sphere
(family, friends, dissident groups). Still, these are the keywords behind the term "workshop".
The ZHABA facilitators collective is a group of NGO facilitators. It helps non-profit organisations to improve their
work. More information on http://www.zhaba.cz
 2002 Stichting ZHABA facilitators collective
(parts of) this text may only be copied or used in other publications after previous written consent of the Stichting
ZHABA facilitators collective.
Also in the West, workshops are a relative new concept. They root in two completely
different traditions.
The liberal educational tradition in North America and Europe, built upon the socialdemocratic
educational and management experiments in the first half of last century and the
human resources management approach of the nineteen sixties, developed the form of
workshops. They were used to confront people with reality, to let them learn from theory,
analyse together how improvements can be made, help them implement these improvements
and make them function optimally.
The second root is in the development of the educacion popular in Latin America and Africa.
Popular education is based on the notion that people without power can make a difference when
they get hold of the power that every group of people has. It started in the form of
educational street-theatre, alternative liturgy and literacy education. It developed participative
and interactive tools to analyse the basic problems of politically unjust situations. It gave
poor small farmers, villagers, women the possibility to improve their own situation - and to
make political changes1
. An important developer of this form of education is Paolo Freire. It
played for instance a major role in the liberation theology in Brasil, in the struggle of ANC
against apartheid in South Africa, development education in the Philipines, and in black and
gender education in the North/West. This tradition developed the spirit in our workshops. It
showed that education, that workshops can make a difference. This expressed itself in booktitles
like "Training for Transformation", "Educating for a Change" and so on.
ZHABA's work builds on both traditions. The participative and interactive methods, targeted
at change, at "taking your fate in your own hands" explain the success of the workshops
developed within ZHABA, and before in the Organisation and Management Project of
Milieukontakt Oost-Europa and other successful programmes in Central and Eastern Europe,
like the Environmental Partnership for Central and Eastern Europe, the Organizing Project,
and the Junior Fellowship Programme of the Regional Environmental Centre.
Working in this way, with workshops, proved to be a very effective tool.
 Nobody has experience with the process of political and economic transformation in
Central and Eastern Europe. Bringing all possible experience and knowledge together
and building upon that is the only solution for such a situation. Relying only on socalled
"experts" will definitely repeat the mistakes made in the past: the current
developments are so complex, that no single expert will be able to have a sufficient
overview of the problems. Education for Transformation even presumes that no
social problem can be solved by experts alone. We need the expertise of "ordinary"
people as much as abstract knowledge and systematisation.
 Working in workshops develops by its methodology social skills like delegation of
work, co-operation in a team, effectiveness in team-work, conflict management,
presentation skills; and furthermore self esteem (not on the basis of competition with
others - but from the own value of each person involved), enthusiasm, creativity,
motivation and group feeling. Many people have experienced that this forms the
basis of effective social and environmental activism.
1"Political changes" means here "changes in the relations in society". This is something completely
different than party political. It has as such nothing directly to do with parliament, with politicians, with
parties. All environmental and social work can be considered to be political and still be done by nonpolitical
groups. Non political then means "not attached to the direct interests of a political party,
faction or individual politician".
Workshop are different 2 ZHABA facilitators collective
"In a workshop all are experts"
studying the Learning Heads during a ZHABA facilitators training in Albania, 1994
One small warning: The word "workshop" is also sometimes used for an open discussion
during a conference. We think it is OK to use the word "workshop" here. But it should be
clear that "our" kind of workshops comprehends more than only an open discussion!
Workshop are different 3 ZHABA facilitators collective
Some differences with workshops
workshops
playing games For fun. For fun and to learn.
Activity for its own sake. Part of the process in the workshop.
theatre Main goals are artistic /
entertainment.
Main goals are educational / action
oriented.
Mostly only the official players
participate.
All participants take part.
No systematic analysis of what
happens on- and off-stage.
The process is systematically analysed
and evaluated.
Quality is shown by performance. The quality of performance is not
important, important is the
(educational) process.
lectures One-way communication as main
method.
Communication between all
participants.
The lecturer is expert. All participants are seen as experts.
Mainly to pass information; to some
extend emotions.
To start action; to share information
and experience
The room is ordered in a formal
way: chairs in rows, lecturer, board,
moderators in front.
The room is used to let the process go
in an optimal way: circles or semicircles,
where everybody can see
everybody.
Workshop are different 4 ZHABA facilitators collective
conferences Formal setting. Informal setting.
Many participants represent
officially an organisation or other
structure.
Participants only on personal title
(although they can come from a
certain organisation).
Result oriented: the results have
been prepared in advance.
Process oriented: the outcomes have
to result from the process in the
workshop.
Task oriented: the goals that are set
by the organisers are the main
guideline for the programme.
Human oriented: the goals set by the
organisers/facilitators are tools to
improve the process.
Works with mostly a large amount
of participants (50 to thousands).
Only suitable for workable groups:
between 8 and 25; in rare cases up to
50.
seminars Learning from experts and expert
knowledge.
Learning from the knowledge and
expertise of all participants.
Use of conventional methods:
lectures, working groups, literature
study, etcetera.
Use of conventional and
unconventional methods (games, role-
plays).
Emphasis on relation between
participant and contents of the
seminar.
Emphasis on the group process.
Information is seen as a tool, not as a
goal in itself.
formal
education
Use of conventional methods. Use of conventional and
unconventional methods.
Long time contact periods with
students (between one week and
several years).
Short time contact period with
participants (between several hours
and two weeks).
Learning from experts and expert
knowledge.
Learning from the knowledge and
expertise of all participants.
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