Regional Training of Trainers in Nairobi, Kenya - May - June 2010

To continue to improve the pool of trainers with specialized abilities to conduct trainings on our themes, The Institute for Inclusive Security’s first-ever regional Training of Trainers workshop brought 15 women trainers from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, and Uganda to Nairobi for eight intensive days in late May and early June. In addition to three members of Inclusive Security’s training team, Women Waging Peace Network member and September ToT participant Lina Zedriga of Uganda joined as a co-facilitator, adding invaluable insight from her long career as a peace builder.

The program began with introductions; an overview of the field of women, peace, and security; and a discussion on best practices for training in conflict areas. Participants then explored Inclusive Security: A Curriculum for Women Waging Peace and learned about Inclusive Security’s unique training methodology. In order to facilitate participants’ understanding of the importance of merging content with skills building, they split into small groups to design workshops for a fictitious coalition of women leaders from the imaginary country of Facilistan. Each group of trainers had to design a segment using the curriculum that would increase the coalition members’ knowledge of an issue as well as their capacities to advocate together; the groups then presented two hours of their training to the other participants.

The trainers then divided into groups by country and developed training programs appropriate for peace builders in their respective countries. After defining their training programs—which included choosing objectives, activities, and monitoring and evaluation tools—the groups presented their programs for instant review to a roundtable of representatives from international governmental and non-governmental organizations, including the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, the Open Society Institute, the US Embassy in Nairobi, UN Development Fund for Women, and US Agency for International Development.

Following the roundtable, Inclusive Security helped participants determine next steps in formulating actual proposals (based on the training programs they devised in their country groups) to submit for funding. The trainers committed to working together with the other trainers from their own country to apply for the Secretary’s Innovation Award for the Empowerment of Women and Girls from the Office of Global Women’s Issues at the US Department of State. They also agreed to submit proposals to the Open Society Institute and the US Institute of Peace.

The workshop closed with a discussion of how the participants could continue their joint work across the region. The women decided they wanted to push for implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 through trainings and advocacy in each of their countries as well as advocate around the resolution regionally. They will use an online space Inclusive Security created to design a strategic plan (in each of their countries and regionally), building up to the tenth anniversary of UNSCR 1325 in October 2010.

Participants gave unanimously positive evaluations of the training, and all are committed to becoming a part of Inclusive Security’s community of practice. One trainer wrote in her evaluation, “This is definitely the most comprehensive course I have attended in my ten-plus years as a peace practitioner! I am absolutely enchanted and inspired and feel blessed to have been selected for this amazing course!”

Participants in the regional ToT included:

1. Amira Abdulrahman Timan (Sudan), Humanitarian Affairs Officer, African Union/ UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID)
2. Jeanne D'Arc Kanakuze (Rwanda), Independent consultant and trainer in conflict prevention and conflict management with ProFemmes Twese Hamwe
3. Maha Hussein Feraigon Babiker (Sudan), Gender, WAAFG, and HIV Focal Point, Northern Sudan DDR Commission
4. Dr. Karambu Ringera (Kenya), Lecturer, School of Mass Comm & Journalism,
   University of Nairobi; and Founder & Executive Director, International Peace Initiatives-Kenya
5. Christine Karumba (DRC), Country Director, Women for Women International
6. Alice Karekezi (Rwanda), Board Member, African Leadership Center
7. Nawal Khidir Nasr Al-Amin (Sudan), Associate Professor, Sudan University of Science and Technology
8. Brenda Kugonza (Uganda), Media and Advocacy Officer, Center for Domestic Violence Prevention
9. Solange Lwashiga Furaha (DRC), Executive Secretary, The South Kivu Congolese Women’s Network for Peace
10. Dinah Musindarwezo (Rwanda), Gender Equality Specialist, Norwegian People’s Aid
11. Sarah Mbere Wanjiru (Kenya), Executive Director, El Taller Africa
12. Joy K. Mbaabu (Kenya), Lawyer, Founding Director, Amani Communities Africa
13. Grace Tukaheebwa (Uganda), Training and Program Officer in Peace-building and Reconciliation, Center for Conflict Resolution (CECORE)
14. Jane Wanjiru Maina (Kenya), Regional Coordinator, Pax Christi Greater Horn of Africa Network
15. E. Njoki Wamai (Kenya), Consultant, Women at the Table Project, Center for Humanitarian Dialogue

For more information on Inclusive Security’s 2010 Training of Trainers in Kenya, or on Inclusive Security’s training work more generally, please contact Erin Hutchens.