ACCORD facilitated a five day Training of Trainers (ToT) on Conflict Management in Pretoria, South Africa. The ToT aimed to consolidate the capacities of those stakeholders previously trained by ACCORD under its Department for International Development (DFID) project focused on strengthening capacities of national and local capacities for peace.
The ToT was attended by 25 participants from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Academics from the University of South Africa; and community-based organisations working in the field of peace. The training focused on concepts, tools and skills for Conflict Management, building the capacity of stakeholders to design and facilitate training in Conflict Management in their respective organisations and to relevant target stakeholders and constituencies.
The participants gained valuable insights from Ambassador Welile Nhlapo (Senior Advisor to ACCORD and former Special Representative to the Great Lakes Region) who presented on the session that focused on negotiation and mediation in practice. Ambassador Nhlapo focused on the conflicts in the DRC and Burundi and reflected on the role that South Africa can continue to play. This point is of particular importance considering participants raised the African Union “Silencing the Guns” agenda and South Africa’s upcoming tenure as Chair in 2020. In light of the international community’s role in peace and security on the continent, participants were further interested in exploring the dynamics and impact of the global community in Africa.
