Values & Action
Alignment
A workshop to explore how your group’s activities can exemplify
Oxfam’s values as well as speak publically about them.
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Session Outline
This session was created as a exploration of the intersection of
individual, campus, and organizational values as a way of determining
group interaction and activity.
Length of Session
1 hour
Group Size
Up to 40 people
Materials
Construction paper
Scissors
Markers/crayons
Chart paper
Postcards for each person
Pens
Laptop and Projector
Individual Wordle (20 Minutes)
Each person upon entering the session will choose five values that are
most significant to them and input them onto a word document. Once
everyone has submitted their five words, they’ll be compiled into a
Wordle to be used during the session.
A Wordle is an online program that creates “word clouds” from text that
you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear
more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with
different fonts, layouts, and color schemes.
Oxfam Values (10 Minutes)
Write down Oxfam’s values for the group.
Oxfam’s values can be found on the Oxfam
website. Ask the group:
Why are these Oxfam’s values?
Do you relate to these values?
Are these values important for development?
Review Wordle (20 Minutes)
Go to www.wordle.com and create a group
wordle using the word document created earlier.
Open up the Wordle on the projector for the
group to see. Review and discuss which values
are most important to the group.
Ask the group:
Which values are most common amongst us?
Do you feel empowered to properly work in those areas we feel
passionate about/outraged by?
Do all of our reasons for being a part of Oxfam fit into the values and
approach of the organization? Compare Wordle to Oxfam values
when discussing this question.
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Shared values (30 minutes)
This part of the discussion is divided into two questions:
Question 1: Review the events your group has planned for Oxfam. Why
do we do these events? Do we keep Oxfam's values and our groups’
values in mind?
Question 2: Break into small groups who have previously worked
together. Brainstorm recreating an event with the focus on actively
incorporating those values. How would you change the event or activity?
Accountability (10 Minutes)
As a wrap up, each person will find a partner and will be asked to
discuss how they feel about the experience of the session.
Each person then gets a postcard on which they put their mailing
address. They will then switch postcards with their partner.
Now, everyone will write one motivation they have from the session and
one tangible goal to help them align their group’s activities with their
values on the postcard.
The postcards will then be collected by facilitators and mailed out at a
later date - give it a few weeks or months depending on the group you
are working with.
When you receive the postcard, it will have your partner’s goal and
motivation on it. It is your responsibility to support and contact your
partner to encourage them to continue with this goal.
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Participant Experience
Group Reflection
Oxfam Values
Empowerment
Accountability
Inclusiveness
Campus Group Values
This is based on the Wordle
created by everyone’s
individual values.
How do these relate?
How do the (campus) group values fit into Oxfam
values? Do we align with one value more than
others?
Are there certain values that are significant to
campus groups in particular?
How can our values inform our work?
Reflect on events campus groups have run before:
How can we run events in the future by consciously
thinking about how they fit w/ our values during
planning?
Transition: We’ve defined our communal
motivators, now how do you as an
individual fit into making them real?
Self-Reflection
Accountability
(Pulling it together)
- One motivation you’ve
taken from the weekend
- One tangible action you will
work towards during the year
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Resources
Oxfam Canada : Values and Methods
http://www.oxfam.ca/what-we-do/our-approach/our-approach
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