April 15, 2019 – Recently, in the Gulu district of northern Uganda, the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI) conducted training sessions in conflict resolution and peacebuilding for local community leaders. The sessions were overseen by members of our cohort of youth peacemakers in the region and took place at our Community Learning Center (CLC) in Gulu. They were very participative and designed so that these local leaders have – in addition to the skills and knowledge garnered from the training – the confidence to work for peace and reconciliation when back in their home communities.
WPDI has come to know – from years of working in fragile and conflict-affected communities – that building lasting peace requires the active involvement and commitment of local stakeholders. That is the driving notion behind our efforts to educate local community leaders in northern Uganda, an area that experienced decades of civil conflict and is still recovering. Training local leaders is key in this endeavor as they are both decisions makers and influencers who have an instrumental role in disseminating values and attitudes among their constituencies, even in the most remote areas. This is how we ensure that our programs have a cascading effect.
The training was conducted over a three-day period in early April for 41 community leaders – 17 women and 24 men. In addition to capacity building, it also sought to demonstrate the importance of using conflict resolution techniques to peacefully mediate conflicts within their respective communities. Through so doing, WPDI aims to empower leaders to join our grassroots peace force on the ground in northern Uganda. Sensitizing community leaders thus amplifies and supports the work our youth peacemakers are already conducting as part of our Youth Peacemaker Network program.
To that extent, topics covered over the three-day training included an introduction to conflict and its characteristics, diversity, equality, leadership, effective communication, and conflict mediation. They were well-received by attendees: Moses, a local council member, told WPDI staff that “I have acquired new skills and knowledge in mediating conflict, effective communications, and active listening that will improve my work in my community. I would like to thank WPDI for providing this important training to local leaders.” Denis, another local councilor, agreed, noting “I feel empowered with new and useful skills in facilitating mediation that will improve how I support community members in resolving conflict. I appreciate WPDI for giving us local leaders the opportunity to learn, share experiences, and strengthen our collective efforts to promote peace and development.”