Institute trainers Ted Feifer, Alison Milofsky and Alan Tidwell joined with Philippine Facilitation Program Director Gene Martin to present three 3-day workshops on conflict management and resolution to 93 senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Cotabato, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga on the island of Mindanao during April-May 2006.
Institute trainers Ted Feifer, Alison Milofsky, and Alan Tidwell joined with Philippine Facilitation Program Director Gene Martin to present three 3-day workshops on conflict management and resolution to 93 senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Cotabato, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga on the island of Mindanao during April-May 2006. The objective of the training was to strengthen the abilities of participants to deal with the range of issues and conflicts in their areas of operation that could involve Moros, indigenous people or other civilians and result in armed violence.
The workshops were tailored to address challenges participants were likely to face and focused on practical skills Exercises gave the officer participants the opportunity to role play the contending sides of conflicts , as well as act as third parties in seeking peaceful outcomes. The officers also presented their own practical problems that small groups later addressed as problem solving teams. Institute facilitators introduced frameworks for understanding the impact of culture on conflict, and Filipina academic specialists discussed in detail the religious, ethnic, historic and economic issues influencing the current conflicts on Mindanao. The high point of the workshops for participants was a complex simulation in a Philippines-like setting.