Developing Civilian Peacebuilding Capacity

This module is concerned with the role of civilians in peacebuilding operations, from local to international levels. It will enable participants, as civilians, to contribute to conflict transformation and peacebuilding in a variety of contexts. The course emphasizes the need for developing reflective and critical capacities of participants. It does this by drawing the attention to core values that inform and motivate peacebuilding activities (i.e. human dignity and common good) and providing the conceptual frameworks that guide critical reflection. The course will orient participants in key areas, including but not limited to: the United Nations, the African Union and African regional groupings, Charter on democracy, elections and governance; international peace operations and their challenges, the roles and responsibilities of civilian defenses without use of the military, the protection of vulnerable groups, the reintegration of former fighters, Do No Harm, and cross-cutting issues such as: gender aspects in peacebuilding, conduct and cultural awareness, and communication. The course also offers an opportunity to learn about human rights education and reporting techniques.