ACCORD has provided support to the development of peacebuilding projects with 18 represented participants from four focus countries – Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia and South Sudan – through a 5-day training held in Bujumbura, Burundi from 2-6 September 2013. This was the second training of a three-part training series under the African Peacebuilding Coordination Network’s (APCN) aiding participants in the development and utilisation of peacebuilding planning skills which will be used in the development of peacebuilding projects.
The projects developed by participants have strategic components in planning, project development and implementation, peacebuilding coordination, monitoring and evaluation and are aimed to contribute towards enhanced institutional capacities to engage in the dynamic and evolving peacebuilding trends within the focus countries.
This training series has been development and implemented by ACCORD’s Peacebuilding Unit (PBU) through the APCN programme aiming to strengthen local capacities in strategic planning of peacebuilding stakeholders. The APCN training program is a component of the African Peacebuilding Coordination Programme (APCP), the flagship programme of ACCORD’s Peacebuilding Unit, funded by the Government of Finland. The first training was first training was held in Liberia from 24-28 June 2013 using the same participants from the same four focus countries.
The training was praised as a success by all involved. The participants walked away with new tools in peacebuilding planning and a clear way forward for their projects. Reflections from the host country provided participants the opportunity to better understand the challenges and dynamics in the development of projects in Burundi. Overall, the training provided a space for lessons to be shared and created an avenue for best practices in peacebuilding to be shared. ACCORD’s Peacebuilding Unit is committed to its continued support in strengthening capacities of key actors of the APCN and expects that skills and competence acquired would be utilised for sustained peacebuilding processes.
Participants from the focus countries will continue this engagement and sharing of valuable exchanges through an online platform aimed at maintaining the network and sharing of expertise and experiences before the implementation of the third APCN training expected to be held in Juba, South Sudan at the end of October 2013.
