The concept of human security, which draws from, the freedom from fear, freedom from want, and freedom to live in dignity, is crucial to peace operations. In this light, TfP/ACCORD attended a Training of Trainers (ToT) on Civil Society and Security Sector Engagement for Human Security conducted by the Eastern Mennonite University’s Summer Peacebuilding Institute. The ToT took place in Harrisonburg, Virginia from 8-12 June 2015.
The training aimed to test and refine the draft curriculum and handbook in order to support civil-military-police coordination training for human security and peace operations. As such, inputs from Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) was imperative to ensure the materials reflect a range of topics to be used. These topics range from Security Sector Reform (SSR); Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR); to Protection of Civilians (PoC); negotiations; conflict assessment; conflict prevention; and peacebuilding etc. The handbook and curriculum were designed to provide knowledge, skills and abilities to enable coordination of multi-stakeholder as a key task in reforming and developing systems for human security. The handbook adds value to existing training and education programmes of the respective stakeholders. The curriculum and handbook will further offer an innovative integrated civil-military-police leadership training program to enable joint learning and relationship building. Furthermore, they will enable security forces and civil society to interact in a way that minimises harm and maximises potential for complementary approaches to improve human security. The target audience for this curriculum was senior and mid-level leaders in international and regional organisations, government, police, military and civil society.
Ten of the ToT participants were from the Global Reference Group for the curriculum development project. Selected experienced practitioners helped provide the training, based on their prior training experience in security forces and civil society. The remaining ToT participants received the training, and committed to provide rigorous feedback and to carry out training in their home community or region. ACCORD as a civil society organisation which specialises in conflict analysis and conflict prevention, contributed to the curriculum and handbook through its TfP programme. Its contributions were specifically toward identifying gaps within the handbook and recommending suggestions to strengthen the handbook. Moreover, TfP/ACCORD will continue to work with other stakeholders to contribute and continue to strengthen other modules within the curriculum and handbook.
This is in line with the TfP Programme’s strategic goal for improved and sustainable capacity for peace operations on the continent, through ensuring that functional organisational systems are in place in the UN, AU and RECs using relevant policy frameworks mandated by the UN, AU and RECs.
The Training for Peace Programme at ACCORD is an initiative funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
