Basic Rules for the Youth Discussion on Chastity

1. 2. !. Everyone is an expert. Nobody understands your issues, your trials and your strengths better than you. When you remain silent you deprive the group of your expertise. The one learning the most is the one talking. Get the most you an from this experien e by honestly sharing your insights. The nature of dis ussion is a give and take ex hange, for our purposes "e "ill all this ross talk. When you have a strong emotional rea tion to another#s sharing, it is very important to think first, to understand your thoughts and feelings, then to share about yourself. $reation of a safe environment is the first priority of these dis ussions, "hi h is impossible in an atmosphere of onfrontation. We are all here for personal transformation, not to change others. %ll ross talk must be as loving as possible, strong emotional rea tions need to be expressed as sharing about ones self, not about others that triggered the rea tion. %t any time during these dis ussions, any youth may re'uest the absen e of all adults from the room until they feel safe to invite their parti ipation again. This is not an issue for onsensus( at the re'uest of only one youth, all adult parti ipants must leave the dis ussion until invited to return. This is a ondition of adult parti ipation in these dis ussions. There are no age restri tions in our so iety regarding diffi ulties "ith hastity, so there are no age restri tions on parti ipation is this dialog. %s a group, the term )adult* "ill be defined and all those meeting the riteria must agree to abide by this rule to parti ipate. The fa ilitator "ill have the authority to stop dis ussion that moves too far off the topi , to silen e inappropriate sharing as defined in rule ,!, or to spark a ne" dire tion in the dis ussion if it appears that a ma-ority of the parti ipants are not engaged in dis ussion. The fa ilitator an be over.ruled by a ma-ority vote of all those present, unless the dis ussion has be ome onfrontational instead of self.revealing. The facilitators first responsibility is to protect every participants right to a safe environment. /emember that fa ilitation is an art, not a s ien e, if you feel a dis ussion has been prematurely or inappropriately ut off, please have the ourage to ask for a group onsensus about ontinuing the dis ussion.

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