Major Elements

Introduction week

In this week you will be introduced to the program, to life at IICD, to the DmM program, to the country where you will be working. You will move in, start the language training, get familiar with the weekly structure, get your areas of responsibility, get to know the other team mates and teams at the school, find your way around in Williamstown, have your first courses, get a computer etc.

The situation in the world today

The purpose of this element is to see the development work in a larger perspective by taking a look at the entire world and to identify some main trends in the development, some main problems/tasks that mankind is confronted with and to elaborate on the future - and your place in this.

Language training

Language training starts from day one. Each Development Instructor has to be capable of using Portuguese as a working language - to read, write and speak it without difficulties. The training takes place in the mornings and one evening every week. The Brazilian students are in charge of this program - but the task of mastering the language is yours.

HPP, Africa and my host country

Under this headline, you will make yourself familiar with the organization you will be working with and representing in the second period: Humana People to People: its history, is concept, its Charter, its projects, its people and its perspectives. You will have courses on the history of Africa and study the situation on this continent, which will be your future work place. You will study about the history and development in the country where you will go and focus especially on what it required by you as a Development Instructor at one of projects and how you can be part of contributing to the development.

Your job in Africa

In this week you will study the job descriptions for the team and decided who will have which job. This involves informing yourselves about the projects and the tasks of the Development Instructor at that project.

Tropical diseases, general health, hygiene

You will study the most common diseases in Africa, about the general health situation and problems and how you as Development Instructors can take part in improving the health of people at the projects and at the same time stay healthy yourselves. Part of the week is also to focus on health issues in our part of the world and to make a personal fitness plan for yourself, that you follow the rest of the training period.

How to bring about development!

The key issue here is to focus on what development is, what is required to create development, what are the obstacles and how to overcome them. It is about evaluating your own personal ability to spearhead development where you are - here and in Africa and to design a training program to improve this ability, whether it is about attitudes, skills or knowledge.

The situation in the world today!

Theater, Art and Culture in the service of development

The purpose is to make use of the wonderful tools of theater, art and culture to pass on messages of importance and simply to have fun. There are plenty of opportunities to practice this during the program by preparing contributions to cafe evenings, common evenings, special parties, presentations etc. During the 2 weeks of this headline there are however two specific purposes:

Action weeks

The aim of the three Action Weeks is to do good in our
own society or for the projects in Africa. In this way
the Development Instructor learns to respond to a
situation and trains to apply into practice basic leadership/
management skills learnt at the Institute.
Action Weeks are carried out in smaller groups or
individually. Action Weeks demand the following from the Development Instructor:
• Planning
• Implementation
• Economic control
• Mobilizing people
• Setting a goal and reaching it
• Leadership skills
• Communication skills
• Evaluation – reporting and conclusion
The aim of the three Action Weeks is to do good in our
own society or for the projects in Africa. In this way
the Development Instructor learns to respond to a
situation and trains to apply into practice basic leadership/
management skills learnt at the Institute.
Action Weeks are carried out in smaller groups or
individually. Action Weeks demand the following from the Development Instructor:
• Planning
• Implementation
• Economic control
• Mobilizing people
• Setting a goal and reaching it
• Leadership skills
• Communication skills
• Evaluation – reporting and conclusion

The Action Weeks are chosen from five major headlines:
• Take Action Against HIV/AIDS.
• Make a difference to people from marginalized groups and fight dehumanization in our societies.
• Take action for a good cause.
• Become a good agitator in involving more Development
Instructors.

Specialization for your job in Africa

Having received the job description, the communication with the project begins. You will learn as much as possible about the project, its history, its people, its program, its present situation, its impact on development, etc. so you can see where your effort will come into the picture. You will prepare practically for the tasks you will be doing - this includes teaching practice, studies, planning, project work, skills training, production of materials, etc.

Fundraising

The task of raising money for the benefit of development is one that take a lot of time and attention over the course of Development Instructor training. During fundraising periods, the Development Instructor typically have tabling at shopping centers, canvassing, presentations etc.

The effort put into the fundraising provides many people with the opportunity to make a contribution towards a better world. However, if you only focus on the money, the doors of opportunity that are opening around you each time you speak to someone will shut! It is about reaching out, reaching out, and reaching out again… Information, education and communication. The American public needs awareness of the issues in the world and your task will be to make people listen and to gain their support. Here you will have to practice your understanding of Africa, what you will be doing, and why.

This humble work demands a lot from each individual and from the team together. It entails many skills that will be needed in the Development Instructor's work: to be able to promote a good cause, skills to argue and reason on the problems and solutions of the world, skills to plan and organize logistics such as room and board, skills in presenting oneself with confidence, and skills in writing, making layouts, etc.

The effort put into the fundraising provides many people with the opportunity to make a contribution towards a better world. However, if you only focus on the money, the doors of opportunity that are opening around you each time you speak to someone will shut! It is about reaching out, reaching out, and reaching out again… Information, education and communication. The American public needs awareness of the issues in the world and your task will be to make people listen and to gain their support. Here you will have to practice your understanding of Africa, what you will be doing, and why.

Personal development plans

The Development Instructor program is not a program you GET - it is a program you TAKE. You are the driving force in the learning. The entire training is about developing YOU as a person to be more capable, knowledgeable, self-confident, ..... In the beginning you will be introduced to this element and it will be a focus throughout the training an many different ways aiming at you being able to direct your own learning and development, to identify your own shortcomings and strengths and to change what needs to be changed.

Outreach activities and actions

IICD offers something unique - in the human outlook we represent, in the development work we do, in the pedagogical principles we use,... What we offer is in great demand in the world today - in the USA and in poor developing countries. Promoting this and reaching out to as many people as possible is a fundamental question to our own existence and expansion, but also an obligation we have. At the same time it is a grand favor to all those human beings, who basically have the same wishes of a world in peace and development like ourselves. As part of the humanitarian forces we thus need to make and mobilize the good in mankind to believe in and to work for a better future. Therefore reaching out to many people in every possible way is an ongoing element in the entire training period. It has its own measurements, just like the fundraising has its goal.

Building weekends

During the preparation period there are 3 building weekends. During these weekends the entire school comes together in order to radically change the place where we live and work daily. In the buildings or outside areas. It is at the same time a good training ground for the building weekends at the project, and a chance to learning about production, quality and organization.

Meetings

Meetings are of great importance whenever people come together and wish to achieve something from what they do. During the week there are 3 interconnected meetings: The Monday Weekly Focus where you look at the week ahead. Although there is a detailed program, it is our experience that changes will take place and thus an extended practice of communicating and agreeing all the way around, is essential to learn. Thursday evening there is a team brief - here the team will plan its own matters and also prepare the weekly status meeting that takes place Friday morning with the whole school. Midway through the program there is a midway meeting. For this each Development Instructor prepares a report evaluating the past 3 months and take decisions about the next 3 months. At the end of the 6 months, there is a conclusion meeting in order to finally define that each Development Instructor is ready to make a contract with Humana People to People. And then there is the contract meeting.

Experiences

Every week there are common experiences and numerous possibilities for having your own experiences. We regard experiences as an integrated part of the training and place high value on them. Use them to get all your senses activated and experience new sides of yourself, your fellow human beings, general phenomena in life, to expand your register of conception and emotion - your ability to enjoy and love, as well as your ability to get upset and turn this into constructive action.

Camp Future

Camp Future is the 3rd period of the program. Camp Future is introduced right after the midway meeting and each Development Instructor will start the planning process of designing his/her tailor made program for Camp Future.

Practical School Management

Each person has an area of responsibility - this is part of the "just do it" activities that are a necessary part of life whether you live by yourself or together in a community. These areas are taken care of during the week at the time where you yourself plan them. The daily cooking and cleaning is organized so all take their turn. Friday afternoon there is Hands to Work, organized by the Building and Grounds Group, where all team up in doing bigger tasks at this place - either out of necessity or because we want to improve the facilities. You will get a special introduction to this along with the program.