The morning resume

WEll, dear friends some news from this morning. In the morning we drank a "refreshing cup of coffee" in a form of the energizer game, which Ewa  has prepared for us. 

The main session of this morning was the concept of the peer education. We were divided into a working groups and  we were discussing different aspects and questions about the concept of the peer education (next we use a shortcut PE). 

1. The definition of PE.
2. Is the PE real education or only an inluence by other people?
3. The way that the peers are influencing us?
4. How can a good peer education help us? (Have you figured out that you too are influencing each 
5. What are the advantages of PE? 
6. What are the disadvantages of PE?

There are some of definitions, which where reflected by working groups.

 The definition of PE.

 PE is a conscious way in which we give and receive information, knowledge, experience and it ´s allowed to be more mature and get „the life wisdom“- 

PE is an education among peers, where everybody has everything to learn and everyone has something to teach, so the learning proccess is under non formal way, there are no existing the teachers but the facilitators

PE is a non-formal or informal education among the equals.    

PE is an education among people on the same level. It comes every time (day by day). We are learning from the nature, from other people.

Some of the advantages of the PE are:  that you are learning something which lasts all life long; then:
   
      PE is not limited by age; it ´s more creative than academical education, it ´s bilateral because there are active and  participating the both sides;
   
      PE it´s more effective because the peers are sharing the same values;
      you are gaining the skills which are important for your next personal development;
   
      PE can supply other interventions (teachers, youth workers);
      
      PE can access to the groups that are otherwise difficult to reach;
      educators and target group members often use the same „slang“;
   
      PE is a community level intervention, that can provide a link to other community services;
   
      PE creates a real relationship between humans; it helps you to open your views, restrict prejudices and social and cultural boundaries between people. 

There are also disadvantages of PE which can we faced up with. 

For example:

• peer educators grow out of their role with the age, new people have to be recruited; 
• there could be a risk of sectorising in groups, not recognized; 
• PE is not enough you always need a formal education; 
• sometimes there is not enough experience from the peers, there not well-trained; 
• there is a possibility of manipulation, differences between person with and you can create one imagine of reality which is drown by peers;
•  it´s difficult to evaluate the impact; PE is not properly targeted. 

More news later.....