Together for Transformation, Gender-sensitive Nonviolence for Sustainable Peace”

IFOR Women Peacemakers Program

Cyprus, 17-23 September, 2011

The purpose of the IFOR Women Peacemakers Program (WPP) Training of Trainers (ToT) is to train male and female peacebuilders from the Middle East region in gender-sensitive active non-violent peacebuilding. The training is entitled:

 “Together for Transformation: Gender-sensitive Nonviolence for Sustainable Peace”

Specific objectives of the ToT are:

• To train male and female trainers on gender-sensitive active nonviolence (GSANV);
• To explore the concept of masculinities and femininities in relation to issues of violence and peace;
• To establish community/ country-based teams who can multiply gained skills and knowledge;
• To establish a pool of male and female GSANV trainers in the Middle East region.

Expected outcomes of the ToT:

• Increased knowledge of gender-sensitive active nonviolence; participants are able to integrate this knowledge in their daily lives and work for peace;
• Increased knowledge on the topic of masculinities and femininities; participants are able to link this analysis to issues of violence and peacebuilding;
• Participants act as agents of change for gender equality in peacebuilding;
• Participants develop and implement action plans for follow-up trainings/activities;
• Participants contribute to the creation of a regional training curriculum and training manual for the purpose of knowledge building and sharing.

IFOR/WPP activities focus on:

• Nonviolence Education and Training; which involves (regional) capacity building on gender-sensitive active nonviolence (GSANV);
• Networking and Building Regional and Global Capacity; which involves Linking and Learning to facilitate the sharing of experiences and exchange of best practices amongst GSANV practitioners, as well as the building of regional and global GSANV networks for joint strategizing;
• Engendering Peace; which includes advocating for the integration of a holistic gender perspective into peacebuilding, with particular emphasis on the importance of women’s empowerment and male involvement, supported by a feminist analysis of peace and security.

The WPP Training of Trainers: Middle East Region (2011-2012)

Between 2011 and 2015, the WPP will organize regional Training of Trainers programs on gender-sensitive active nonviolence (GSANV). These regional ToTs will bring women and men together with the aim of build a strong regional network of GSANV trainers. These ToT cycles are also linked to the partnership strategy the WPP is currently developing. The WPP therefore looks for women and men who are part of (national and/or regional) peace networks and movements, and who feel driven to work together with the WPP as long-term partners on a regional level.

The 2011 Middle East Training of Trainers (ToT) cycle will focus on the advanced instruction in the theory and practice of gender-sensitive active nonviolence (GSANV), the theories of femininities and masculinities and its relation to violence and peace, participatory and gender-sensitive facilitation, transformative leadership, and lobbying and advocacy. Resource people are leading (male and female) educationalists and activist trainers on Active Nonviolence, gender, masculinities and violence, and participatory facilitation skills.

The Training of Trainers (ToT) Cycle will consist of:

• a one-week initial Regional Training (Fall 2011);
• the implementation of country-based Training of Trainers by the trainees;
• a four-day ToT Consultation Meeting (2012).

The whole ToT cycle will take up approximately one year.

The 2012 ToT Consultation meeting will focus on linking and learning, exchange of country-specific best practices, address needs for further skills-building as well as produce a regional strategy for continued co-operation and ways forward.

Ala Ali