Summary Report on Training of Trainers for NP
summer 2006 (ndr)
Introduction:
The first Training of Trainers (ToT) for a Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) specific Agenda, was held in Ban Mai, (Chiang Mai – Thailand) 9th to 18th July 2006, on the premises of the INGO Women’s Partnership for Peace and Justice whose director, Ouyporn Khuankaew was one of the 4 lead trainers. The others were: David Grant (USA), Strategic Relations Director of NP, Winnie Romeril (USA) longtime trainer of Peace Brigades International (PBI), and Baht Latumbo (Philippines) President of INGO Action and trainer in the last 2 NP core trainings for FTM for the NP Sri Lanka project.
The participants were trainers/peace workers selected in the spring, from over 100 recommended candidates. Those 22 who finally made it to the ToT included 4 – 6 participants from each of 5 continents; sadly the Middle East was not represented. The gender (11 men and 11 women) and age balance was very enriching.
The lead trainers met two days before the beginning of the ToT to adapt the requirements of the NP Training Guidelines, with the material for core competencies in the Opening Space for Democracy (OSD) manual, and with the Agenda A of the core training foreseen for Field Team Members (FTMs) by NP.
The Training was documented in a ‘Notes’ format that compiled the work or exercises proposed and basically the debriefing and comments. This will be edited, to be sent to the participants who requested it.
The Training of Trainers
The environment that was created at Ban Mai, was extremely motivating and Peace inspiring. Ouyporn, Ginger and the village’s hospitality overwhelmed us from the beginning. The beauty of Nature, rice paddies as backdrop for the sessions, and the weather, though hot, not unbearable, created opportunities for personal growth work too. The food was superb!
The importance given to a certain composure, and to the all-important inner work (with an hour-long personal inner work before breakfast, the silent moments at the beginning and the end of the sessions), created a deep seriousness, and a deep well-being, that permitted, throughout, the coping with the usual difficulties encountered in groups, more possible in this one, with its extreme diversity.
The 10 day event was, in most part, participatory. All participants were able to facilitate some sessions. The teamwork among participants was surprisingly smooth, given the differences, and that motivated everyone to participate actively, creating an extremely interactive background for work even during the pauses. The feedback from the evaluations was extremely positive in this sense.
The cultural diversity certainly cropped up in various occasions, and although there was no serious language barrier, the non-English speakers had to work a bit with rapidness and the ‘slang/humor’ of native English speakers. The focus and vision on ‘how’ to manage a core training, (not on the contents) was evidently different between participants from Africa, South America, Europe or Asia. All were very glad to be able to learn from one another.
The few moments of discomfort were, in all cases, swept away by the capacity, that all present had, of picking up on something positive. And the responsible, nonviolent disposition of the participants, even though their perceptions were from varied cultural backgrounds, meant that in no moment was there any sort of conflict. The difficulties were coped with thru dialogue and nonviolent communication.
The possibility of working with the lead trainers, and to see how well and soon they built up their team, and with what synergy and pace they worked together, was very inspiring for all present!
Conclusions:
The main goals for this ToT, were not totally clear (to me) at the start. There was a basic request, received throughout from the participants, for information on NP, and on the Sri Lanka project.
I personally thought that the goal could be feedback from trainers, from all cultures and backgrounds, into the creation of a NP specific training Agenda, based on the Agenda A of the Guidelines. The feedback from the international group of trainers at the ToT, for the elaboration of a specific NP Agenda for Core training, has been delivered by a report on the ToT expressly made for the NP training sub-committee. There are very good materials, comments, questions and visions to work with.
The Lead trainers also understood the ToT goal to be the observation/assessment of a pool of selected trainers, from which it would be possible to choose the teams for the next Regional Core Trainings. Participants were given feedback placing them as either Lead Trainers, member of the Training Team (through time to move up to Lead Trainer) or trainer for shorter regional or introductory training. The numbers of each allow for combining training teams with mixed genders, cultural background, and trainer strengths. There are many strong possible combinations for NP specific trainer-teams.
The trainers of the preceding Core trainings for SL also asked for a specific training curriculum based on FTM needs, to pass on to trainers for regional trainings, and for deployment in any part of the globe; and a clear NP specific Agenda. The need for case-based training has been recognized, and the need for it to not be only ‘SL based’ is also recognized.. These characteristics will be implemented and the NP specific Agenda is on its way!
The participants came with different levels of capacities and skills, and all wanted an NP explanation/clarification course.
The NP specifics, being in continuous transformation, were transmitted as best as possible. But there is an apparent lack of clarity about the common stance of NP on certain aspects of NP work. NP should be conscious of the necessity of creating a common vision among NP staff, MOs, IGC, Trainers and FTMs.
This (to my knowledge) is being done in various ways.
* By the Strategy evaluation (Delibera) to clearly understand the vision of NP’s MOs.
* By the training subcommittee proposal for defining specific concepts, taken for granted up to now, but that have been seen to elicit different interpretations.
* By the Governing Body Task Force aimed to create a body of decision makers able to do their work, based on common standards and criteria.
And I suggest that it is all important to prepare a consensus on all these points, to bring to the International meeting of 2007, for a clear “corporate image” of NP.
This is, to me, a more transcendent aspect of what the ToT brought forth, something to inspire us to go forward with these fundamental internal initiatives, for NP’s future.
Overall the first Training of Trainers of NP was a very fruitful and positive experience that has left a very fertile field of development open to the extraordinary and versatile energy of NP today. I thank all who participated, and those who organized and took part in many of its different tasks, for the creative and intense energy put into this important step for NP’s future existence.
By Simonetta Costanzo Pittaluga
TRAINING OF TRAINERS, JULY, 2006, BAN MAI, THAILAND
TRAINING TEAM:
Ouyorn Khuankaew, Thailand; Winnie Romeril, USA; Baht Latumbo, Philippines; David Grant, USA (NP staff)
ASIA
Monica Alfred - Sri Lanka (NP team training experience)
Ramu Mannivanan – India (IGC member, Capacity Building Chair)
Anthony Kelly – Australia
Yukio Aki - NP Japan
(Baht and Ouyporn - trainers)
LATIN AMERICA
Veronica Pelicaric- Argentina and Canada – Pace e Bene
Lillian Vargas - Argentina
Theo Roncken- Uruguay / Netherlands - (lives in Uruguay)
EUROPE
Shelly Anderson- US/Europe (IFOR)
Lucy Holdaway- UK (Peaceworkers UK)
Robert Rivers - US/Europe trainer (PATRIR)
Denis Matveev - Europe/Australia (PATRIR)
Giovanni Scotto– Italy
NORTH AMERICA
Betty Burke - US
Jan Passion –US (NP team experience)
Moussa Magassa- Canada/Senegal (lives Vancouver)
Cathy Hoffman – US
(Winnie and David - trainers)
AFRICA – 3 men 3 women
Oloo Otieno- Kenya- (NP team experience)
Ignatius Kabale Mukunto - Zambia
Ombok Otieno- Kenya – Chemchemi ya Ukweli
Netsai Mushtonga– Zimbabwe – IFOR
Fatima Schwartz- S. Africa
Sibusisiwe Ncube (Bisu) – Zimbabwe
OBSERVER/RECORDER Simonetta Constanzo Pittaluga, Spain
Member of the IGC and NP Capacity Building Committee