Two five-day Workshops in Yerevan/Armenia in May 20th –24th and September 16th – 20th, 2013
Potsdam University of Applied Sciences in cooperation with the Caucasus Institute and the Research Center for Regional Studies at Slavonic University, funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Federal Foreign Office within the Programme “Crisis Prevention Southern Caucasus, Central Asia, Moldova” invite key representatives from Moldova, Georgia and Armenia representing Political and Public Institutions, Security Sector, Civil Society or Cultural Organisations and the Private Sector to two
Workshops on Methods of Peaceful Conflict
Resolution, Mediation and Negotiation, Conflict
Analysis and Crisis Prevention
The Workshops are the third part of a series of training events previously organised in Georgia and Moldova and will be conducted with interdisciplinary and participatory methodology. They aim at equipping participants with fundamental concepts and methods for alternative and peaceful conflict resolution and leadership skills in crisis situations.
All participants will acquire relevant knowledge of genesis and identification of crisis situations and reach practical competence in de-escalation and eventual peaceful and constructive resolution of conflicts in their respective work or private space, within or between their institutions and in the respective regions.
Workshop 1 will address and impart basic methods of alternative conflict resolution as well as expertise in key skills, like effective communication, leadership, de-escalation strategies, intervention modes and mediation techniques. The workshop is divided in thematic expert inputs, reflection, and participatory dynamic and group exercises as well as interactive role-plays which capacitate participants to acquire new skills and learn new techniques faster and more effectively.
In between the two workshops participants are expected to use and apply the acquired competency and skills in their professional and private environments and test their own competence and the effectiveness of the conflict resolution/mediation methods.
After assessing results, experiences and questions with the whole group, we define areas of tested expertise and necessary learning steps. This forms the basis of Workshop 2 on advanced skills and methods, which serves to clarify the personal conflict management profile and adds perception, knowledge as well as refined operational ability and process competence for the fields the participants are active in.
Participants are also encouraged to actively engage in a dialogue and network forum with conflict resolution experts from Moldova and Georgia.
Contents and Objectives
Knowledge:
- Conflict analysis, -escalation, -background, -effects, -behaviour
- Conflict theory, – management and –prevention in relation to participants’ own experience in
- family, culture, profession, political and economic life
- Relation of crisis symptoms to causes on the micro-, meso- or macro-level of the political/economic structure of society
Abilities
- Initiate and activate individual and social/historical strategies for resolving conflicts constructively and peacefully, using these and other creative potentials
- Use mental and emotional access to people in problem situations adequately
- Encourage and lead participants to early intervene into problem settings in order to prevent escalation of conflicts
- Nurture essential key/life skills like effective communication, creativity, team building
Methods
- Instruments, methods and strategies for successful and effective conflict management and peace
- building, such as appropriate intervention to deescalate acute violence, conflict resolution, mediation, integrative negotiation
- Package of methods including theoretic inputs, group works, individual and group reflection
- phases, role plays, practical exercises and cases studies
Long term goals
- Build a nationwide and inter-regional network of cooperating experts and support groups and actively network and exchange with peers from Georgia and Moldova
- Integrate the conflict resolution and mediation methods into the existing traditional and modern structures and networks of the Armenian wider society, especially in the areas of politics, economy and civil society
- Make alternative/consensual conflict resolution instruments and behaviour available to a critical mass of decision makers in the respective sectors of society in order to guarantee a wide distribution and enable quick response to all sorts of violence.
Preconditions for Participation
- Strong professional affiliation and interest in the issues covered by the trainings
- Middle management position in a public and political institution, civil society or nongovernmental organisation or business
- English language proficiency
Facilitators
Prof. Dr. Angela Mickley
Sebastian Dworack M.A.
Meike Dudde B.A.
Corinna Kärnbach Dipl. Päd.
c/o Professorship for Conflict Resolution, Ecology and Peace Education
Potsdam University of Applied Sciences, Germany
Applications for participation consisting of a CV (with picture) and a motivation statement (max. 500 words) should be sent toCRWSArmenia2013@gmail.com until April 28, 2013 at the latest.