MEETING ROOM #5 UNDRR
UNITED NATIONS OFFICE OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
Crisis Simulation with LEGO® Bricks
Crisis Simulation with LEGO® Bricks
In this meeting room, 26 countries representing countries across Asia and the Pacific utilized LEGO® bricks as a communication tool to collaboratively develop a set of guiding principles for the coordination and implementation of earthquake preparedness and response activities. Through this innovative hands-on approach to problem solving, the delegates gained a deeper understanding of the risks associated with earthquakes, the roles of the stakeholders, and the importance of preparedness for an effective response.
The JEMUN process of sharing country positions, collaborating on working papers, and negotiating amendments using English as a working language can be a challenging process for all of the participants. This is particularly true for a majority of the Japanese students, as they often have weaker language skills than the international participants, and are likely to follow different conventions of communication that can lead to their opinions going unheard. Participants often find the rules of procedure, or the turn taking protocols involved in English discussions, confusing. This leads to a difficulty interacting as students can have problems asking, responding, inviting, and sharing with other members in their discussion groups. These difficulties are often exacerbated by the mixed levels of English language ability found in many of the groups resulting in confident speakers being tempted to dominate discussions. Finally, the topics and ideas discussed at the conference are highly challenging and non-native speakers face great challenges in explaining complex concepts in English.
To address these challenges, the organizers of JEMUN adapted the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® (LSP) method to develop the world’s first systematic and logical approach to using LSP in multicultural English problem-solving discussions at MUN conferences.
The delegates assigned to this meeting room develop visually-enhanced resolutions using LEGO® bricks through an innovative, hands-on, minds-on approach to collaborative problem solving. This new visual approach helps to unlock new knowledge, and unleash the potential of each delegate in discussions.
LEGO® Serious Play® and JEMUN
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The Coordination and Implementation of Earthquake Preparedness and Response Activities