WEST AFRICA PEACEBUILDING INSTITUTE (WAPI)

Enabling Peacebuilding PracticeEnabling Peacebuilding Practice

BACKGROUND• The incessant outbreak and reoccurrence of violent

conflicts in West Africa proved the inadequacy of effective peacebuilding capacity in the region. Hence, it became imperative to formulate long term sustainable approaches to changing relationships and structures underlying conflicts, and changing the attitudes at the core of the culture of violence.

• To address this gap, a peacebuilding institute in the region to provide the space and platform required for Africans to develop and actualize their own home-grown initiatives became essential.

INTRODUCTION• WAPI was therefore institutionalized in 2002 by the West

Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) to provide specialized, intensive, and cultural sensitivity training in conflict transformation and peacebuilding to individuals, CSOs, business community, policy makers and other relevant actors in West Africa

• WANEP is one of the leading peacebuilding organisations in Africa with a mandate to build the capacity of peacebuilding, development and human rights practitioners in Africa and worldwide on peace and security issues to promote and protect human security through context specific tools and indigenous techniques.

INTRODUCTION Contd.• In 2010, WANEP entered into an MOU with the

Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) to jointly organise WAPI and engage in research, training mentoring and strategic interventions

• Since 2002, WAPI has trained over 450 experts in peace, dialogue & mediation, early warning, and human security, etc.

• Its visibility and sustainability is evident in the increasing number of participants across the globe including ECOWAS, AU, UN Staff, Government agencies & corporate institutions

Graphical presentation of the concept of WAPIStrengthening capacity of African CSOs as well as the intergovernmental

bodies especially AU and ECOWAS

Capacity for Community/Institutional Conflict Transformation

WAPI

Knowledge/Skills

Experience sharing

Attitudinal Change

AIM & OBJECTIVE• The aim of WAPI is to provide knowledge and expertise on

peacebuilding and conflict prevention to reduce and eliminate the frequency and severity of violent conflict

Specific objectives among others include:• Develop action oriented capacity for conflict transformation and

peacebuilding• Increase number of competent, informed and active

peacebuilding practitioners• Provide quality training in peacebuilding• Develop context specific and indigenous models of conflict

transformation and peacebuilding that can be integrated with existing models

• Provide skills to respond to workplace disputes

METHODOLOGY

• Courses at WAPI blend theory and practice

• Teaching method is highly participatory and interactive, enabling space for extensive contribution by participants

• Participants are frequently grouped to share experiences

Faculty/Participants• Faculty Members at WAPI are drawn from highly

qualified and experienced peacebuilding scholars, practitioners and educationists. 3 lecturers of the Peace and Conflict Programme of the Institute of African Studies are members of the WAPI Faculty

• Participants are drawn from intergovernmental organisations including UN, AU, ECOWAS, CSOs, National Peace Architectures, security agencies, business community, universities etc. At least 5 students from MA-PCS and 2 of CEPACS have participated in WAPI

OVERVIEW OF COURSES

1.Peacebuilding Paradigms: Concepts and Praxis

2.Peacebuilding Program design, Implementation and Evaluation

3.Dialogue and Mediation: Design and Processes

4.Natural Resource Governance & Conflict Management

5.Peace Education

6.Human Security & Development

7.Early Warning & Early Response: Building Capacity for Preventive peacebuilding

8.Gender and Peacebuilding

PEACEBUILDING PARADIGMS : CONCEPTS AND PRAXIS

This course equips participants with knowledge of peacebuilding field and improves their understanding of concepts, theories and praxis of peace and security. It builds on the understandings of conflicts and the theoretical foundations of peace and peacebuilding practice. The outline follows the sequence from understanding of conflicts to the analysis of conflicts; and provides conceptual clarifications on the various elements of peacebuilding and human security.

Major elements in the course: •Understanding conflicts•Theoretical foundations including conflict theories •Conflict Mapping and Analysis•Conflict Sensitive Approach to Peacebuilding Work•Managing pressure and External Influence in peacebuilding and Conflict transformation•Peacebuilding Practice: Operating principles and Frameworks; Roles of Actors and Peacebuilding foci; etc.

PEACEBUILDING PROGRAM DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION

The course equips agencies, organizations and practitioners working in conflict, crisis and post-war stabilization and recovery with skills and knowledge to improve the quality, effectiveness and sustainable impact of their programs. Most importantly, it’s an operational program. Participants bring actual projects they are working in their institutions and are supported to learn and apply effective skills for designing peacebuilding program for sustainable impact.

Major elements of the course include:• Overview of Aid and Development• Operational Framework for Effective peacebuilding program design

(conflict-sensitive programming)• Needs and Capacity Assessment, stakeholders analysis and Risk

Analysis/Mitigation • Peacebuilding Monitoring and Evaluation: Logical Framework and Result

Based Program Management • Project Management Cycle • Procurement Processes and Financial Management

DIALOGUE & MEDIATION: DESIGN ANDPROCESSES

While dialogue and mediation has been identified and utilized as a critical tool for addressing conflicts and ensuring peaceful coexistence, the skills and knowledge required to facilitate the process remains low. This course builds capacity of participants in the design and processes for effective dialogue and mediation. The course adopts a hands-on approach, allowing participants to develop and work on a case study in order to appreciate the ‘nitty-gritty’ of dialogue and mediation Major elements of the course include:•Introduction and conceptual frameworks •The nexus between theory and practice of dialogue and mediation•Mediation Tracks: Overview of CSOs, ECOWAS African Union and UN Mediation efforts •Communication and Facilitation skills •Conflict Analysis •Getting to the Table; At the Table: Dialogue and Mediation Skills; Getting to and Reviewing Agreements•Follow-up and monitoring of outcomes (Sustaining outcomes)

HUMAN SECURITY & DEVELOPMENTThe course examines the nexus of human security, peacebuilding and development. It particularly builds the capacity of course participants in using preventive peacebuilding strategies to anticipate and manage issues relating to human security in Africa. It further provides participants with the capacity to analyze human security issues as they relate to daily life experiences of families, groups and communities in the continent. Major Elements of the course include:•Human Security: Overview, Evolution, Conceptual clarifications•Democracy, Human rights and inclusive governance•Gender and Human Security •Poverty, unemployment and Underdevelopment•Identity and violent extremism•Trans-national organised crimes•Environmental security•Migration flows

PEACE EDUCATIONThis course facilitates the understanding and the use of Peace Education as a long term preventive mechanism against violence. It explores Peace Education as response mechanism to balance power, create and sustain awareness towards the transformation of conflicts and unjust situations. The issues are examined within the context of the West African region, but also draw on experiences and models from other parts of Africa and the world at large.

Major Elements of the course include:•The Context of Peace Education (Legal framework and guiding principles)•Peace Education Theory and Pedagogy•Formal and informal peace education programs•The Practice of Peace Education: design and implementation •Peer Mediation•Monitoring and Evaluating Peace Education•Policy Options for Peace Education in West Africa

EARLY WARNING & EARLY RESPONSE: BUILDING CAPACITY FOR PREVENTIVE

PEACEBUILDINGEarly warning is about assessing the likelihood of violent conflicts, the possibility of a resurgence or escalation of violence and identifying the windows of opportunities for peace and stability. This course provides analytical frameworks for understanding the nature, causes, dynamics and actors of conflict; developing skills for developing indicators, monitoring, analyzing, and reporting conflict and human security. Particular focus is placed on how to conduct and write risk assessment reports, policy briefs; monitor and report qualitative and quantitative early warning indicators, and mobilize strategic, integrated responses to prevent conflicts or relapse to violence.

Major Elements of the course include:•Introduction to EW Concepts•Continental, Regional and National and Community EW Systems•Developing Indicators and Conflict Monitoring processes •Engendering Early Warning•Analysis and Scenario Building•Early Warning outputs and Audience •Response Planning & Mobilization

GENDER & PEACEBUILDINGGender roles have contributed to discrimination and oppression across the region and globally. This course recognises that conflicts affect men and women differently. In this regard, the effective participation of both in peace processes is crucial to sustainable peace. In order to address these inequities, the course also seeks to provide gender perspectives in peacebuilding and equip participants with the skills for gender analysis. This course is structured to challenge thinking so as to enable understanding of the significant role of both men and women in conflict and peace processes. Major Elements of the course include:•The concept of Gender•Gender issues in conflict and peacebuilding (Perspectives on the Impact of Conflict & Violence)•Gender and Violent Extremism•Inclusivity in Peacebuilding and Decision Making•National, Regional, Continental and International instruments for Gender Mainstreaming Into Peacebuilding•Gender, Peace Support Operations and post conflict reconstruction

NATURAL RESOURCE GOVERNANCE AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

Intrastate conflicts in West Africa and indeed most countries in Africa since the 1990s have been associated with the management and exploitation of natural resources. As West African population continues to upsurge, and the demand for resources endures, there is potential for conflicts over natural resources to deepen and escalate in the coming years. The course equips participants with the skills for understanding, analyzing and managing natural resource conflicts while ensuring that natural resource management for sustainable development forms part and parcel of governance, institutional policies and decision-making.

Major Elements of the Course include:

•Overview and classification of Natural Resources in West Africa

•Frameworks for natural resource conflict management (National and International)

•Natural Resource Governance and Development

•Gender perspective to Natural Resource Governance and Conflict

•Managing Relationship between Government, Host Communities and Multinational Corporations

•Corporate Social responsibility and peacebuilding

 

SCHEDULE OF WAPI 2014

BENEFITS OF WAPI• Enhanced knowledge and expertise in peacebuilding

• Practice-oriented that equips participants with practical skills in managing peace & security challenges confronting the region

• Enhanced platform for networking among participants during and after WAPI via WAPI Alumni forum, which is linked to the ECOWAS Early Warning mechanism Peace Exchange Forum

• Participants are regularly updated on employment platforms, academic & professional resources, & other career opportunities via WAPI forum

A Musician from Kenya- Beatrice Achieng Odhiambo had this to say after WAPI 2013: “This is a training that all people across Africa need. Why don’t we make the training ‘Africa Peacebuilding Institute (API)’ and take it to a place that all across Africa can participate in? This training understands the context of Africa and practically builds on current African conflicts”

WAPI Participants & Dignitaries during the Opening WAPI Participants & Dignitaries during the Opening Ceremony of WAPI 2013Ceremony of WAPI 2013

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www.wanep.org/wapi

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SEE YOU AT WAPI 2014!

THANK YOU