Conflict Management: Training for local communities was implemented in Zaporizhzhia

On July 15-19 the first module of the second training course on reconciliation, conflict management and inclusion in local communities was implemented in Zaporizhzhia. During the event, participants (residents of the eastern regions of Ukraine, representatives of civic organizations and internally displaced persons) not only acquired new knowledge and practical skills, but also got an opportunity to disseminate the knowledge gained during the mini-seminars in their communities. Under the terms of the project, participants take part in a full training course, and after that can hold their own one-day mini-workshops (ten altogether) in their communities, conveying the acquired knowledge to the residents of their native cities and towns.

The trainers who implemented the event in Zaporizhzhia are experienced in the field of conflict management, non-violent communication, and peacebuilding:

- Inna Boiko did an internship in Bosnia and Herzegovina at "Peace Academy", the "World Learning" implementation with USAID support in 2017; in 2015-2017 she underwent trainings for trainers "Community mediation implementation and conflict management", "Gender-based violence, human trafficking and human rights violations", implemented by "La Strada-Ukraine" NGO.

- Olena Nabokova implemented the USAID Project "Economic Opportunities for People Affected by the Conflict", a business skills training course in 2017; in 2018 she was a trainer of the "Effective Tools for Hatred-Based Conflict Management for HR professionals" in "Ukrainian Women" NGO; in 2019 "Alliance for Civil Rights" NGO’s trainer of "European Union for Youth: Opportunities and Stability in Armenia, Belarus and Ukraine" project.

According to the trainers, this module was not only rich in information and practical work, but also really productive, as evidenced by the interest of participants and the dynamics of the group in five day’s period of training. The work of the trainers’ team was built in a way to minimize the possibility of emotional discomfort for the participants. The received feedback testifies that the trainers coped with this task well.

The trainers noted, "For most of the group, the topic of conflict-management was new. At the first stage of the training, almost all the participants expressed their keen interest in the training topic and intention to further hold the workshops in their communities. Positive group dynamics was observed during all five days of the training. The high level of motivation was maintained by individual involvement and practical exercises".

Each exercise was aimed at consolidating theoretical material, the interaction of participants, as well as the development of the specific competencies necessary for conflict resolution and management. Besides, participants have mastered at least five or six techniques of conflict analysis that will help to manage conflict situations in future.

The training was implemented within the "Crisis prevention and Peace building in Ukraine – Time to Act!" project, supported with German Federal Foreign Office’s funds by IFA (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen), Funding programme zivik.