Training of Trainers - September 2009

Inclusive Security's first-ever Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop welcomed 11 international participants to the National Conference Center in Leesburg, VA on Tuesday, September 22.

Sessions during the week-long training focused on preparing peace builders to plan and execute engaging trainings that effectively deliver content and provide opportunities to improve relevant skills.

Discussion of content included an overview of the field of women, peace, and security; the concept of experiential learning; discussion of the unexpected outcomes of Inclusive Security's training methodology; examples of bridging divides in conflict settings; lessons learned from Inclusive Security’s training in the field; incorporation of monitoring and evaluation measures into proposals, and the successes and challenges of building coalitions.

On the skills side, the training included role-play activity from the transitional justice module in our Curriculum; small-group development of actual practicum programs; conversation on the best practices of proposal development; a message management session including delivery of 3-minute and 15-minute pitches summarizing each participant's respective program; small-group work to to finalize training designs; individual work to design a training program appropriate to their own country; presentation of designed trainings; and simulations drawing on the the post-conflict reconstruction module of our curriculum.

An "Open Space" session enabled our guests to discuss their burning issues and introduced them to a new methodology to be considered as part of their own trainings.

Near the end of the training, participants traveled to our DC office for a donor roundtable where they presented the individual proposals they had developed. Using a “speed dating” format, each participant had the opportunity to speak to a donor for 15 minutes, at which point they rotated and met with another donor.

Donors included representatives of: Women’s Democracy Network, International Republican Institute; Office of Conflict Management and Mitigation in the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, US Agency for International Development; Southern and East Africa, National Democratic Institute; Women’s Political Participation, NDI; Africa Program, National Endowment for Democracy; Afghan Desk, USAID; Office of Global Women’s Issues, US Department of State; Norwegian Embassy in Washington, DC.

The format of the donor roundtable gave participants the opportunity to receive feedback on their proposals during three different 15-minute conversations. Donors had the opportunity to better understand the wide variety of settings in which the Curriculum could be applied. Some of our participants left with pledges from donors to support their work and further discuss their designed programs.

Participants in Inclusive Security's first Training of Trainers program included:
1. Alma Viviana Perez (Colombia), first secretary and human rights officer, Colombian Mission to the UN in Geneva
2. Ashima Kaul (India), consultant, Women in Security, Conflict Management and Peace
3. Cerue Konah Garlo (Liberia), executive director, Women NGOs Secretariat of Liberia
4. Kemi Ogunsanya (South Africa), head of training, African Center for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes
5. Lina Zedriga Waru Abuku (Uganda), national coordinator, Advocates for Public International Law Uganda 
6. Nurgul Djanaeva (Kyrgyzstan), president, Forum of Women’s NGOs of Kyrgyzstan
7. Orzala Ashraf (Afghanistan), founder, Humanitarian Assistance for the Women and Children of Afghanistan
8. Samra Filipovic-Hadziabdic (Bosnia), director, Agency for Gender Equality
9. Shobha Gatam (Nepal), founder and president, Institute of Human Rights Communication
10. Suzan Elsadig Abdelsalam (Sudan), lawyer and executive director, Noon Centre for Legal Consultation and Human Rights
11. Devi Leiper (Cambodia), program associate, National Democratic Institute (and daughter of Network member Mu Sochua)

For more information about our training services, please contact Allison Shean.