In consistency with its objectives to contribute to the strengthening of national infrastructures for peace in Africa, ACCORD has delivered training on advance mediation and dialogue skills to participants drawn from the Ecumenical Church Leaders Forum (ECLF) in Zimbabwe. The training took place in Bulawayo in Zimbabwe from 26-31 August 2013.
The Peacemaking Unit of ACCORD co-facilitated the training sessions at the Ecumenical Lutheran Church of Zimbabwe Njube Training Centre in Bulawayo. The training objectives were to: capacitate ECLF facilitators with advanced mediation skills so that they are able to mediate conflict situations at all levels and to build a team of facilitators who will be able to moderate dialogues and contribute to a culture of peaceful resolution of conflicts.
The vicious cycles and recurring nature of intra-state conflicts in Africa have increasingly made it inevitable that peacebuilding practitioners need to continuously be equipped with relevant skills that can enable them to contribute to crisis prevention and recovery. In addition, there is currently an emphasis among mediation practitioners on the need to develop capacities for peace at the national level with the aim of confidence building among grassroots communities which often bear the biggest brunt of violent conflicts.
ACCORD intends to strengthen its partnership with ECLF in the future especially under the auspices of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC). ACCORD’s commitment to this partnership affirms its dedication to continue to collaborate with likeminded entities to contribute to the prevention and resolution of conflicts on the African continent.
