Capacity Building

USIP conducted a series of electoral violence prevention workshops throughout north and south Sudan in 2009 with participants who represent key institutions that play a critical role in electoral processes. These workshops combined case studies of electoral violence with capacity building in conflict resolution and citizenship skills.

After a series of programs on electoral violence prevention throughout Sudan, USIP’s team of trainers worked to develop a north/south network of Sudanese trainers to spread the program content as widely as possible in the short time before Sudan’s elections and referendum.

Copper deposits worth over $50 billion in Afghanistan’s Aynak valley could either present an opportunity for economic sustainability and political stability or become the focus of violent competition and grand corruption. Panelists discussed the steps necessary to ensure that the copper industry benefits local communities and promotes peace in Afghanistan; how the Afghan business sector could prepare to be fully integrated in the copper value chain and the role for external parties, like the United States, to help the Afghan government and community-based organizations to build capacity that would improve coordination and effectiveness.

Local ownership is essential for successful security sector reform (SSR), but donor countries often determine priorities and programs. What practical steps can policymakers and practitioners take to encourage local ownership of reform efforts? 

Nadia Gerspacher discusses her Academy course "Strengthening Capacity by Training, Mentoring, Advising." The course teaches professionals interested in strengthening the capacity the ins and outs of the transfer of knowledge including adult learning principles, building a rapport, developing conflict sensitivity, assessing local capacity, local ownership, sustainability, project management, training needs analysis, curriculum design.

Nepal has experienced a series of remarkable changes over the past year as it has transitioned from Hindu kingdom with a Maoist insurgency to a secular republic with a Maoist-led government. USIP is supoprting Nepal's transition through programs focused on security sector reform, rule of law, and transitional justice.

Copper deposits worth over $50 billion in Afghanistan’s Aynak valley could either present an opportunity for economic sustainability and political stability or become the focus of violent competition and grand corruption. Panelists discussed the steps necessary to ensure that the copper industry benefits local communities and promotes peace in Afghanistan; how the Afghan business sector could prepare to be fully integrated in the copper value chain and the role for external parties, like the United States, to help the Afghan government and community-based organizations to build capacity that would improve coordination and effectiveness.

On December 16th, at the request of the Pakistani Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), ETC/I Senior Program Officer Nina Sughrue conducted a one-day conflict management session for 18 Pakistani parliamentarians, eight members of the parliamentary staff, 17 representatives of the political parties’ youth wings, nine members of the youth parliament, 10 members of the press, and six politically active civil society leaders in Islamabad. 

ETC/I Senior Program Officers Nina Sughrue and Linda Bishai, in conjunction with local partner the Sustainable Peace and Development Organization (SPADO), conducted the second training of trainers (TOT) workshop in conflict analysis and resolution in Islamabad on December 13-15, 2009.