Opening Ritual: Our group agreement
- 4 min reading
- 4 min activity
Example: on the first evening of a training at a youth centre in Thessaloniki, twelve young people from six countries sit in a circle. Before anyone talks about their life, the group writes three sentences on the wall. They decide together how they want to treat each other.
- Understand why a group agreement makes it safer to talk about feelings.
- Learn three agreements from this module: "We listen to understand", "We honour silence", "We speak from lived experience".
- Write your own agreement for the module.
Why start with an agreement?
This module is about empathy: understanding how other people feel and see the world. To practise it, people sometimes talk about personal things. That only works when everyone feels safe and respected.
In a workshop, the group starts with an "agreement ritual". A ritual is a small action that a group does together, always in the same way. Here, the group chooses a few shared values for how they talk and listen. Everyone takes part, so everyone is responsible.
We listen to get what the other person means, not only to prepare our answer.
A pause is fine. Nobody has to fill it, and nobody has to speak.
We say "I" and talk about what we know, not for a whole country or group.
Two more agreements protect everyone. Anyone can pass: you can always say "I pass" without a reason. We ask before we share: a story someone tells you stays with you, unless they say yes.
What does the agreement look like?
An agreement is only useful if people know what it means in practice. Match each agreement with what it looks like in a group or a team.
Your agreement for this module
Online, you are the group. In this module you will meet stories, role-plays and questions about your own life. You decide how much you share. Short answers are always enough. Your answers are saved in your account, and other learners cannot see them.
Some topics may bring back memories. You can pause at any time. A simple way to feel calm again: put both feet on the floor and breathe out slowly three times. Then name three things you can see around you.
My agreement for this module
Your answers are saved in your account. Other learners cannot see them. A few words are enough.
"Can I pass on this one?" "Take your time." "Is it OK if I tell others what you said?"
In your team, class or shared flat, agree on three simple rules for how you talk to each other, for example in your group chat. Ask everyone to add one rule. Read them out together.
- Empathy
- Trying to understand how another person feels and sees a situation, and responding with care.
- Ritual
- A small action a group does together in the same way, for example at the start of a meeting.
- Agreement
- Rules a group chooses together.
- To pass
- To say no to a turn, without giving a reason.
In short
- A group agreement makes it safer to talk and listen.
- Three agreements guide this module: listen to understand, honour silence, speak from lived experience.
- You can always pass, and you decide how much you share.