MEST-UP

What is MEST-UP?

The term MESTUP is yet another one of the amazing DF acronyms that you will come across, it stands for Mediation Education Support Team Umbrella Project. MESTUP is a team of DFs who provide Mediation and Peer Education on national and international Woodcraft events. Um… But what does that mean?

Mediation

Mediation is a way of solving conflict, by bringing people together to talk it through with two impartial ‘mediators’. Our role is not to instruct but to help those involved come to a solution.

In MESTUP we run drop in sessions at Woodcraft events where you can come to find out about and request mediation.

Why Mediation?

• The parties involved come to their own solution and agreement.
• You are the experts in the problems you face – this means that the decisions reached in mediation are more likely to work than those made by outsiders.
• Mediation is confidential, informal, and friendly way of sorting out a situation.

Peer Education:

Peer Education is about you and me educating each other. Through workshops, games, and cups of tea, it is about sharing knowledge and skills.

In the context of MESTUP, peer education is also about having someone to talk to in a confidential and safe environment. We provide drop in sessions at events where you can find out what we’re about and talk to someone in a ‘safe space’.

The tent also provides an area of books, leaflets, and friendly people where you can just hang out and chat. Our main focus is on a range of subjects including sex, drugs, identity, bullying, abuse and peer pressure but we’ll also discuss the weather or yesterday’s game.

The MESTUP team also run workshops on these subjects- for example, consent, drugs issues, and sexual identity.

Why Peer education?

• Our peers have a massive influence on our attitudes and beliefs. Peer ed makes use of this in a really positive way.
• Peer educators are just you and me, so are less likely to be viewed as ‘authority’ figures preaching.
• It’s empowering! providing opportunities to get active in projects that affect you, and the means to access information.

How to get involved?

If you are interested in joining the MESTUP team then send an email to mestup@spanthatworld.com or contact Sarah Lawson (Projects Rep)