Simon Koolwijk

It is five minutes before finalizing a Team Workshop on how to renew the approach of its service delivery for social work to the community. Sofar the group has created an 'inspirational vision' and has worked out the strategies. You feel that everything is oka y. The group looks involved and everybody is participating. The waiter from the restaurant is informing the group, that the snacks are ready. You ask the group on what actions it should take the next 6 weeks to get the first strategies moving. Then, suddenly, the team leader takes charge of the conversation. He mentions 10 action points, including names of responsible people and deadline dates. The group looks shocked and intimidated. It is silent for a while. I check if everybody agrees. It remains silent. People nodd with a breath it is okay. The team leader says it is time to go to the restaurant. The food gets cold. We can evaluate up there! During the snack I am checking informally pa

"For years I was the chairman of a working group; I guided young children and organised workshops with youngsters; I assisted youngsters with home work classes and language training. However, it was all done intuitively. We never got didactical methods on how to guide people and groups in their learning proces. However, it worked. I had a passion to do it and had a good relationship with the youngsters in stimulating their personal growth." These were some of the introductions participants shared during the training 'Basic Facilitation Methods' attended by Development Professionals. The training was organised at ICCOenKerkinActie & Togetthere on the 16th and 17th June, 2011 and was led by Simon Koolwijk Many people already have a lot of skills and knowledge in teaching and transfering knowledge, but are not aware about their capacities. The 'KOLB' learning cycle is an excellent tool in making the unconscious capacities con

What makes a capacity development intervention with a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) different from one with a Church Development Organisation? It was one of the questions, which was discussed during the training Capacity Development with Organisations on the 7th and 10th June, 2011 at the Hendrik Kraemer Institute (HKI) . The training was led by Simon Koolwijk and attended by participants from ICCOenKerkinActie and Mensen met een Missie . The following eleven differences can be identified: 1. A NGO has more autonomy and flexibility to decide on how to develop their capacities at Human Resource (HRD), Organisational (OD) and Institutional (ID) level. A development department within a church is more dependent on approval and au thorisation from church leaders. This makes the development process in the capacity development intervention slower. 2. Sensitive issues, taboes and conflicts are more easy to discuss in NGOs . Churches generally have an idealist

After more than 80 years of film history, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy are still fun to watch. Youtube provides a lot of humoristic video's from the thirties in the last century up to till today, which can be used for trainings to create fun, laughther or to do energizers or games. Following is a compilation of humoristic video's. 1. Mr. Bean - Mr. Bean - Changing into trunks 2. Toomy Cooper - The bag and the egg 3. Charley Chaplin - Coffee drinking - Funny 4. Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy Kneesy, Earsy, Nosey Finger widdle 5. Monthy Python - Monthy Python football Germany vs Greece 6. John Cleese - John Cleese versus extremism 7. Spitting Image - James Bond, Roger Moore and Margaret Tatcher 8. Archie Bunker - All in the family - Archie Bunker on vegetarianism 9. Muppets show - Derek and Clive are muppets 10. Benny Hill - El show de Benny Hill If you would like to add some more humortis