From 22 June to 7 July 2022, ACCORD and Global Peace worked in partnership to convene a conflict management training for young members of the Global Peace Africa cohort.
The training, led by ACCORD’s Manager of Applied Knowledge and Learning, Mr Philip Visser, and Ms René Ngwenya, an ACCORD consultant trainer, brought together a team of African youth with a voiced interest in solving the continents problems. The participants were introduced to, and led through, a series of conflict management techniques.
As an introduction to conflict management, the training touched on conflict analysis, negotiation, mediation and dialogue. The participants engaged in a case study of a seemingly intractable conflict, and explored the process of resolving it. The methodology took the participants through the process of bringing the conflicting parties to the table, and guided them all the way to resolving aspects of the conflict through negotiation and dialogue. As the workshop programme was spread across six, three-hour, sessions, over three-weeks, participants had the time to prepare for the simulation of complex negotiations. They were able to explore the practical application and use of conflict management skills and knowledge.
This training also served to contribute to the ACCORD Training of Trainers programme for 2022. Participants from this programme were given the opportunity to participate in the planning of the training sessions; present sections of material; and facilitate debrief sessions. Combining the training of the Global Peace Africa cohort with the Training of Trainers allowed for the mentorship of new trainers. Both Ms Ngwenya and Mr Visser, where able to provide immediate guidance and feed back to the trainees, thereby contributing to a practical and lively learning experience.
The ACCORD and Global Peace collaboration provides the ideal opportunity for these young leaders to network and engage with a broader audience. As such, following the training, the participant from South Africa was invited by ACCORD to attended the High-Level Ministerial Conference on the role of regional economic communities, regional mechanisms, and governments in promoting the youth peace and security agenda in Southern Africa, hosted in Harare in July 2022, as well as the Intergenerational dialogue series that ACCORD is hosting in collaboration with the African Union Youth for Peace Africa programme.
