News

Training young women leaders in the Horn of Africa
08 Aug 2018 - 16:36
Source: IPHRD-Africa

Upon invitation by IPHRD-Africa and their partners, Clingendael Academy conducted a three-day training in negotiation and mediation skills for 17 young women in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The participating women were all young leaders who sought to strengthen their capacity to effectively engage in and support mediation processes, advocate for young women in peace processes, and to integrate gender perspectives in their peace work in South Sudan, Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia.

The training focused, amongst other issues, on identifying and practising with negotiation strategies and negotiation processes and procedures. In one of the simulations, the women dealt with the complexity of multiparty negotiations by negotiating on behalf of farmers, nomads or the government in the fictional “Grassland” or by acting as a mediator in the conflict. Each negotiation process saw the return of peace to Grassland.

The participants

The training was part of a wider initiative to increase the number of women involved in peace processes and to start their participation at a younger age, leading to more experienced female leaders and mediators.

It was provided under the umbrella “Negotiation Training as a Conflict Resolution Instrument”, financed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This facility aims to enhance the quality and competences of negotiators and mediators in peace processes.

Clingendael mediation trainings pay special attention to understanding negotiation processes and their inherent power dynamics, recognising negotiation strategies and tactics, and the mediator’s own role as a negotiator.