Identity Star

1. To start the session, the leader should provide some context to the topic and explain the concepts that will be covered.
    
2. Start by explaining that every human has their own identity. Then ask the group: "what do we mean by that?"
    
3. Invite contributions from the participants and then summarise that we can see identity as "A compass by which we orientate ourselves". It's the beliefs, qualities and expressions that make us who we are. We all have multiple identities and they can be permanent or temporary, specific to a time and place or staying with us throughout our entire lives.
    
4. Now, ask the group if they can name some identities. To encourage them, you can share examples to consider, like ethnicity, family, culture, race, sex, gender, age, language, nationality, education, social status, religion, ideology and professions, to name a few.
    
5. Personal identity: Give each person a copy of the Identity Star. Encourage them to think of 6 things they would use to identify themselves, this can be anything, as it is personal. For example: Scout, sister, Buddhist, student, activist, man, friend, Colombian, dancer, etc.
    
6. Expressing identity: Now ask participants to consider how they express those identities presently, or how strong they are to them. For example: at a jamboree, their Scout identity may be very strong, while their sister identity may be low as they are not with their family. Ask them to score each identity from 1-10 (10 being strong) on the star, the middle being 1. Then, join the dots.
    
7. Share: Create a safe space and ask if anyone is willing to share the identities they have chosen and the position they hold on the graph.
    
8. Perceived identities: Each person then writes down their 6 identities, from their star, on post-it notes.
    
9. The group then forms two lines, facing each other.
    
10. Each person takes a turn to introduce themselves to their partner, using only their name and identity.
     
11. Once finished, they each randomly take 1 identity card from their partner and ‘throw it away’.
     
12. One line takes a step to their left and starts the process again. This continues until everyone has 1 piece of paper left.
     
13. Share: Encourage open discussion about how that felt, what identity they have left, how much they identify with this identity now, etc.

Notes: This activity could be personally challenging for each individual and their own reflections should be encouraged. It is important to remind yourself of the Principles of Dialogue and concepts related to identity.

Please refer to the Learning Objectives above for each age group when explaining, facilitating, and recapping this activity. Select the questions relevant to the age group and their objectives.

Our cultures and identities give us meaning and shape the way we see the world. All of the identities that you have, all the identities we don’t know we share…

• How does it feel to have one of these identities taken away from you?
• How did you feel about the remaining part of your identity?
• How did you feel about your identity being ‘thrown away’?
• What might be the impact of having to hide your identity?
• How did you feel about throwing away others' identities? Do you think that happens in daily life?
• Can you think of a time when your identity has been an asset?
• Can you think of a situation when you have hidden a part of your identity?
• Do you think it can cause conflicts when we don't consider other identities?

As the adult leader, you should also encourage other reflection and questions based on your knowledge, experience and desired objectives