NDI Facilitation Institute - "Viomatiki Paremvasi NDI"

website: https://www.vpndi.gr/

Viomatiki Paremvasi NDI in an organization with expertize in Non-Directive Intervention [NDI]. NDI can be condensed in the triplet listen – propose – accompany (Bakirtzis) and is a method of communication that has been applied with success since 1980 in the fields of facilitation, experiential education, personal growth, psychotherapy, team-building, group dynamics, conflict resolution. It was introduced by the French professor Michel Lobrot who combined and developed further important currents and practices of humanitarian psychology and arts, such as face-centered therapy and encounter groups (Carl Rogers), group dynamics & field theory (Kurt Lewin), psychodrama (Jacob Moreno), gestalt therapy (Fritz Perls), Reichian therapy, theater improvisation, theater in education, music, painting and sculpture as means of self and collective expression, techniques of automatic expression from the surrealist movement and others. [further info on the theoretical framework: http://lobrot.ndi.fr/?wiki=The_non-directive_influence]

The NDI facilitator listens actively to a person/group with unconditional positive regard and empathy, seeking to detect their desires. At the same time he/she remains authentic and congruent with his/her personal feelings or thoughts. The facilitator formulates tailored proposals to facilitate the expression of desires, the learning and the emotional growth of the person/group and he/she doesn’t hesitate to intervene and make suggestions. At the same time he/she is always alert to stay focused on the desires of the group and is open to withdraw and revoke a proposal if the group feels it is not helpful for them.

Regarding learning, NDI focuses on the positive experience and gives space to the personal learning paths of each participant. According to NDI the core of learning is that the learner “is moved” – “is emotionally affected”. It thus emphasizes in preserving the engagement of the learner during the learning process and considers multi-dimensional reflection as a central part of the learning process. Furthermore, NDI being an experiential learning approach also discourses with currents such as learning by doing, cooperative learning, Kolb’s theory, differentiated instruction, constructivism and outdoor education while suggesting that attention should always be paid so that the personal needs and desires expressed by the learner are never neglected or marginalized in favor of external priorities or aims. NDI suggests moving beyond the dipole “teacher centered vs. student centered” learning and explore the potential of relation-centered learning, referring to a holistic and authentic relation between the learner and the teacher/facilitator with the latter accompanying and co-searching with the learner in the exploration of how to accomplish his/her personal aims and desires.

Furthermore, in the perspective of our organization, NDI apart from a pedagogical and psychological theory, is essentially a way of living, a way of communicating and building relationships every day. A way to be open, to overcome prejudice, to meet the Different Other and live together. We are thus interested and active in the fields of social justice and acceptance of the difference, environmental awareness, strong sustainability, integration of immigrants and refugees, gender equity and inclusion, human rights, access to the labor market for people from disadvantaged communities, participation, enhancement of critical and systemic thinking, scientific literacy, empowerment and active citizenship. We promote intercultural exchange between European people and between European and non-European people as a means to overcome racism, xenophobia and prejudice. We are inspired by the prospect of a society without exclusion and discrimination based on age, sexual identity, religion, social group, body or mental health issues. We also strongly believe that diversity is a potential and not a limit and thus enhance frameworks where people from different backgrounds can meet together, combining collective creativity with increase of mutual understanding.

In a more practical level the organization is active in the following ways:
- a 2 year training of facilitators (trainers, youth workers, teachers, adult education staff, science communicators)
- a 3 year training of counselors (recognized by the Hellenic Association for Counselling, member of the European Association for Counselling)
- a 4 year training of psychotherapists
- an annual 7-days camping meeting combining NDI and outdoor education organized since 2014
- it is a co-organizer of an annual 7-days international symposium of NDI organized by the Hellenic Association of NDI in Greece since 2008 and which was previously organized by the Fédération Internationale de la Non Directivité Intervenante in France since 1992
- project "Me and the others": local youth work with teenagers on acceptance of the difference, skills of cooperation, self development
- young people and adult group work on personal development, active citizenship, environmental awareness
- development of educational programs in collaboration with local formal and non formal educational institutions such as museums, NGO's, schools and others
- Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps projects
- events related to various issues of social interest related to sustainability, equity and inclusion
- exhibitions and cultural events either organized by the organization or hosted in its premises
- translation of books and presentations
- reading groups

Additionally, the people of the organization have the following experience

- Dr. Konstantinos Bakirtzis is a clinical social psychologist, psychopedagogue, facilitator, NDI trainer trained by Michel Lobrot and certified psychotherapist of the European Association of
Psychotherapy. He has been a professor of the Faculty of Education of the Aristotle University of
Thessaloniki Greece between 1987-2011 specialized in pedagogy of lived experience – experiential education, group dynamics and psychopedagogy of communication. He has introduced more than 3000 students in NDI experiential education techniques via participatory interactive lessons. He has
also trained more than 300 primary and secondary education teachers in the context of state lifelong learning seminars, and 150 youth/adult education workers in the context of complete NDI training.

- Mr. George Slaukidis is a primary education teacher currently working in a center about education for environment and sustainability. He has a degree in primary education and a master in Environmental Education. He is an NDI facilitator. He is a trainer of youth workers about sustainability and active citizenship issues and has published articles and educational material on sustainability and experiential learning. He has facilitated theater groups. He is keen on outdoor education and has organized camps and educational activities in the nature. He has organized activities of museum pedagogy and also music-theater performances.

- Ms. Ioanna Gkioule has a degree in physics. She is a certified NDI counselor and trainer and a
participative observer in the training of master students of Greece and Cyprus in experiential
education techniques. She studies topics of social anthropology and also investigates issues related to NDI theory and methodology in collaboration with Michel Lobrot and Nicole Habrias-Simon. She has also participated as a leader of a group of nine 15-years old teenagers and a main facilitator in the youth exchange project InsideOut (KA105-1376BC01).

- Mr. Filippos Nachmias has a degree in physics, an MSc in astrophysics and currently attends a
master in Environmental Education. He is an NDI facilitator and has been performing experiential education activities for more than 7 years. He has a working experience as designer and facilitator of science public outreach educational activities and as designer of Erasmus+ projects in Noesis – Science Center and Technology Museum of Thessaloniki, Greece. Additionally, he is keen on issues related to human rights, acceptance of the difference, gender equity and inclusion and active citizenship. He is also interested in theater of the oppressed as a tool to address social issues. He has participated in numerous Erasmus+ mobilities of individuals. He participated as an expert in the Erasmus+ project Outdoor
Academy (2016-3-PL01-KA205-035265) where he contributed to the composition of the theoretical
framework and a guidebook of outdoor education activities and also to the implementation stage.
Furthermore, he designed the educational content and the program of activities of the Erasmus+ project InsideOut (2018-2-DE04-KA105-016831) and he also coordinated the logistics of the trip of the Greek team.