The Training for Peace (TfP) Programme on 14 December 2020 celebrated its 25th anniversary in a live webinar that took stock of the programmes support to the AUC in the areas of peace and security and identified broad opportunities for engagement in the coming years. The Training for Peace (TfP) is one of the longest serving partnerships of the AU. Established in 1995 to provide capacity support to Africa’s peace and security efforts, the TfP supported the efforts of the OAU and continues to offer support to the AU. In its 25 years of existence, it has utilized lessons learned to further develop its approach and relationship with the AUC, to offer demand driven support. The TfP Programme recently completed its 5th phase of Programme and is currently in its 6th phase
The webinar was moderated by the TfP secretariat, Dr Linda Darkwa and Mr Gustavo de Carvalho, Peace Operations and Peacebuilding Senior researcher in the Institute of Security Studies. The panelists for the webinar was made of richly experienced speakers that have been with the TfP Programme since its inception in 1995, the likes of Ambassador Bård Hopland, Dr Vasu Gounden, Dr Jakkie Cilliers, Dr Cedric de Coning. Though it was important to engage on what TfP has achieved the webinar also engaged on the trajectory of African conflicts; Peace and Security; capacity-built; experiences; and Silencing the Guns. The webinar also assessed the TfP Programmes level of response and support to the AUC, at the training level, policy-development level and research level. This conversation was necessary in enhancing the understanding of Peace and Security, and to determine how best the TfP Programme can support and address the issues and challenges raised.
The webinar was attended by senior staff of the AUC, TfP, ACCORD, ISS, NUPI, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, KAIPTC, WANEP. The style of the presentations was mostly informal, with lessons learned and experience-sharing conversations from the panelists, which end with a short TfP video clip.
