Namati Myanmar have conducted the very first all paralegals retreats from 11th – 15th March, 2019 at Kalaw Township, Southern Shan State in Myanmar. All three Partners Staffs and Paralegals, Namati Staffs and our Paralegals Network colleagues form South East Asia who have joined the last two days, total around 70 members were participating in this retreat event.
Every morning session were started with the winder fresh air to refresh our brain with already assigned person for each sessions. After that, participants have separated to join their chosen session. Some session are must to attend and some are might to attend which are based on how the important level of the session for the participants.
Who led the session?
Here, we are practicing the inclusive way of sharing our responsibility by giving space to paralegals to lead some important session. That’s is why we are called our retreat as paralegal convening to be mean our retreat naming. We wanted paralegals see themselves here as they are playing in an important role for the achievements, they are learning from each other’s with different experiences and learning. They are the one who know some parts more than us to be feeling themselves as our supporter.
In each sessions, this time thought we rather request our Legal advisors and Namati staffs and partners lead person lead the every sessions,we have planned ahead and sharing to partner and paralegals to lead some of their related sessions.
What are the methodology for the sessions?
We have used a participatory friendly way such as lesson based energizer games, group work discussion, pair to pair learning, partner to partner learning, group competition, group presentations and positive debating.
What are the sessions and how did we reflect on this?
Skill Learning
Having skills is an essential part of how to deal with the challenges and improving our current work output. So, we have chosen skill learning which are covered about Story Writing , Policy Brief and Advocacy, Complain Letter Writing ,Media Engagement and Community Education which would be supported all our current work to improve with the best result.
In this sessions, different participants have already had their different background skills and it was so much useful for the new learners and seeing who have already the skills and next time whom to approach, who need to improve and how could we also developed more skills in our future work.
Reflecting Skills
Reflection helps to refresh and review our current work and comparing the effectiveness rather than just doing as we always have. So, we have chosen some topic to improve our work and exchanges learning together each other in the sessions said Citizen Roles in Governance Bodies, Handling Hardest Cases, Case Management Strategies, Client Engagement, General Land Law, Citizen Right and Environment Justices Piloting and Update Sharing.
Under the reflection learning, Paralegals, Partners and Staffs reviewed the work of challenges, achievements, weakness and strong points to apply back in our current work. Sessions could attracted the participants since they all have diversity working background and different opinions and sharing honesty for their views. However, every discussion was ended by the positive learning and respectful opinions sharing’s.
Two short time collective survey sessions also included for Safety and Security Policy and Digitalization Usage to rewind how the people understand on this, how things work or not working, how things need to be improve and how things could be do better more.
Ending with Group Photos for expression all enjoying retreats and we are working under the same sky
We have a big beautiful a group photos with all paralegals, partners and South East Asia paralegals net workers. The group are enjoying taking photos not only their own groups but also taking with others new people. By seeing these photo taking times, it makes feel us about how how they are familiar during these days and keeping their warm feeling to each other’s for better work in future.
Let me just add a bit more points for our agenda designs.