News

First 2019 foundation course on humanitarian negotiation skills
08 Feb 2019 - 12:02
Bron: Clingendael Institute

Clingendael hosted the first four day humanitarian negotiations training of the year with participants working in Iraq, Nepal, Geneva, Ethiopia, Turkey, Gaza, Bangladesh, South-Sudan, DRC, Yemen and The Netherlands. A great diversity of participants, representing a range of UN agencies and (i)NGOs.

The foundational course introduced participants to Clingendael’s interactive method which allowed all participants to experience our practical tools in realistic simulations. Humanitarian aid workers often meet unpredictable circumstances and they negotiate with counterparts who operate under entirely different set interests and principles. This means humanitarian aid workers need to respond on the spot and under high-pressure circumstance. In our foundation course, we therefore focus on equipping participants with a set of tools which allows them to better analyse a situation they find themselves in and to make more conscious choices on how to negotiate.

The simulation exercises are windows to improve our performance during negotiations and it was quite practical and absolutely full of learning.

We introduce the participants to a variety of tools through seven different simulations, especially tailored to the humanitarian context. Our extensive debriefings allowed for in-depth reflection on the application of the tools. The broad diversity of participants meant everyone could share their experiences  and this in turn helped embed the understanding of the different contexts in which humanitarian aid workers need to negotiate and how the tools can (and should) be used in different ways. 

Our next training opportunities can be found on our calendar. Do contact us if you want to host a training in your region.