To start with, I interview Dr. Peter Westoby, a UQ lecturer and Dave Andrews about the youth leadership program with people with refugee backgrounds. Both are active and experienced practitioners in community development and have worked with people from diverse backgrounds.
In the past few years, Dr. Peter Westoby has facilitated many workshops that equip the youth to be more active to start youth activities in their communities and equip youth leader for conflict resolution. Below, I would like to share my learning from Dr Westoby.
• Program needs to clearly define ‘leadership for what’ by listening to people in community about the youth issues and work with the people rather than work for them.
• From CD perspective, leaders are those who listen to all and listen well, respect others and gain respect from others, honest and facilitate cooperation among group rather than someone who stand up and speak loud in traditional thinking.
• Elements to be considered in organising program: 1) program meet the real need; 2) work with and cooperate with people/community; 3) have good network with young people; 4) build credibility and authority through trust from the youth; 5) program need to be experiential; 6) maintain contact with young people to support them in their ongoing work; 7) conduct in place where young people feel comfortable; and 8) have a good facilitator.
• Experiential workshops should have a lot of participatory activities such as art and role play. The workshops must be fun and allow the youth to talk a lot. The facilitators should work on the experiences of the youth and have them to reflect on the experiences as a group, then help them to generalise what they learn and how they apply in daily lives. It is good to work with a team with different skills.
• Take an educational approach such as train-the-trainer to equip young people to train others.
• Universal program involving different multicultural groups increases one's interaction with other cultues. Particular program involving only the youth with refugee background can deal with specific needs of the target group. Both approaches are necessary.
• Most leadership development occurs outside formal program. It is about having worker mentoring young people, identifying the young leaders and supporting them, such as giving them leadership role in camp. It is about the relationship, how worker sees who are these young people and works alongside them, talks to them that they do well and should take more responsibility and push them into leadership position.
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