ACCORD will offer the following public courses in 2009:

• Introduction to Conflict Management: 25-27 March 2009
  A 3-Day course in understanding, preventing and transforming conflict

What is the “Introduction to Conflict Management”?

The ACCORD “Introduction to Conflict Management” is a three-day foundational course that aims to provide an overall understanding of conflict and conflict analysis, and to impart skills on how to become an effective conflict resolution practitioner.
ACCORD is the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes, and our Head Office is in Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal. For over fifteen years we have been active throughout the African continent in building capacity in government, the public service, the corporate sector, civil society, the military and police, to transform destructive conflicts and build security.
This training course draws on our accumulated experience. Conflicts have become more complex, whether inter-personal, organisational, inter-group or inter-state in nature – complicated by issues of technology, power relations, access to economic resources, gender, race and ethnicity. Complexity brings with it the challenge to resolve multi-faceted conflicts, and demands creativity and extraordinary insight.

ACCORD attempts to bring African solutions to African challenges. While attempting to keep abreast of international trends, we are very conscious also of our African perspective. We make a point of using African methodologies, resources and experience within our training approach.

Who is the course for?

Conflicts are diverse and complex – creative strategies to combat them involve accessing many different approaches and insights. We promote a collaborative approach to dispute resolution, and we also like to maintain diverse, interesting groups in our training sessions. The “Introduction to Conflict Management” is thus for practitioners, government personnel, business executives and ordinary citizens. If you are an NGO practitioner, an organisational consultant, a lawyer, a government land-claims judge, a corporate HR officer, an industrial relations student, a teacher, a religious clergy, a community leader, or any other types of professions, this course is for you.

What will you gain from the course?

Conflict will become de-mystified. You will understand how conflict cycles work – what their root-causes are and how to analyse a given conflict situation in order to understand what is going on. You will also gain skills to intervene in a conflict that you will be able to exercise in your own environment. The course is called “foundational” because, although brief, it will give you a thorough and strong grounding in conflict resolution theory, methodology and practice, and improve your ability to work effectively in your personal context, and be able to apply skills learnt whether at international governmental negotiations or marriage counseling. Attendance at this course qualifies you to return to ACCORD for an advance course in mediation or negotiation training.

Why come to ACCORD?

ACCORD is an international civil-society organisation working throughout Africa to bring appropriate African solutions to the challenges posed by conflict on our continent. Our approach to conflict resolution has been recognised by the United Nations as a suitable model for Africa. We have been invited to share our knowledge and experience from as far afield as East Timor, Cypress, Palestine, Jordan and Brazil. ACCORD was founded in 1992.

In the past fifteen years, ACCORD has trained more than 15000 people in conflict resolution skills. We have been involved in interventions which have contributed to positive shifts in conflicts in KwaZulu-Natal, and as far afield as Somalia, Sudan, the DRC, Burundi and Nigeria. We work in urban and rural areas, in classrooms and boardrooms, with decision-makers of countries and leaders of communities. We rigorously attempt to maintain neutrality in any conflict, and have worked with people across political divides, and in collaboration with United Nation Agencies such as UNIFEM, UNDP and on behalf of the African Union, formerly the Organisation of African Unity. ACCORD’s website (http://www.accord.org.za) offers further insight into our work.
This foundational course has been scheduled based on the numerous individual requests for conflict management training.

Where will it be held?

The course will be held in Pretoria at the Burger Parks Hotel.

How Much will it cost?

The course takes place over three days, from 25-27 March 2009, between 8am to 5pm. The training fee is R5500.00 which covers: training materials and a conference package for each participant, lunches and teas, and all trainers and resource persons. Participants will be presented with a certificate of attendance at the conclusion of the training.
Please note that the training fee does not include accommodation or transport to the training venue. ACCORD’s administrative staff will happily assist you in finding accommodation near the venue that is appropriate to your needs and within your budget.

What is the Course Methodology

ACCORD’s training methodology is interactive, participatory and highly contextual. Expect exercises, group work, plenary sessions, video case studies, role-plays, simulations and dialogues.
What do you need to partipate in the Introduction to Conflict Management course?
The training will be conducted in English. In this regard, the main requirement for acceptance to ACCORD Conflict Management Training Programme is fluency in English (reading, writing and speaking).
However, it will greatly enhance your participation in the course and improve your skills if you have done some background reading in conflict resolution, have a good awareness of socio-political developments, and bring some consciousness or experience of conflict scenarios to the training. The training is structured in such a way that participants will be able to share their experiences and gain insight into some of the difficulties they have experienced in relation to conflicts.

How do I sign up?

In order to secure a position at any of our workshops, please comply with the following:

• Complete and sign a registration form, and submit it to ACCORD with a brief CV by 13 February 2009. Once your application has been approved you will be contacted by ACCORD and offered a place on the programme.
• Only once payment of 50 per cent of the deposit has been received is your position guaranteed. A letter of confirmation will be sent to you confirming the dates of the workshop.
• No refund of the deposit will be made for non-attendance. However, should you be unable to attend a workshop, you may send someone in your place provided that you notify us two weeks prior to the training.
• The training can only accommodate 20 participants. Space is thus extremely limited, and you are advised to book early to be sure of securing a place on the programme this year.

Download the application form here.