Training Unit
At its very conception, ACCORD recognised the centrality of education and training in the pursuit of organisational (civil, government and corporate) transformation, development and peace. ACCORD upholds that it is informed citizens who can transform organisations and society, build security and respond to conflict creatively. The Education and Training Unit of ACCORD makes this its rationale for existence.
The challenges at inter-personal, organisational and inter-state levels have become more complex. These relations are complicated by issues of technology, power relations, access to economic resources, gender, race, ethnicity etc. Complexity brings with it the challenge to resolve multifaceted conflicts.
The Unit was established in 1992 to transfer skills in conflict analysis, conflict management and conflict resolution in Africa. We challenge ourselves to meet ACCORD's distinctive purpose of finding African methodologies to meet the demand for African solutions to African challenges.
Focus of our work
Our training builds capacity by training trainers as well as training interested individuals and groups to work effectively to resolve conflict in their work environments, community organisations, inter-group or inter-state relations:
- has been conducted nationally and internationally, in urban and rural areas
- has included decision-makers of the state and leaders of communities
- takes place in classrooms, boardrooms, in halls of power and the African bush
- has involved actors across political divides
- has been collaborative, involving work with United Nation Agencies such as UNIFEM and on behalf on the Organisation of African Unity (OAU)
- International facilitation
The enthusiastic support of both the UN and the OAU has seen ACCORD well received in countries in Africa. Our non-sectarian standing and our passionate belief that civil society must be strengthened to enact its choice for peace has seen ACCORD commit to training in Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Burundi and the SADC countries. Training in Northern Ireland, Cypress, Austria, Sweden and Fiji has extended the reach of our work.
National educational interventions
Within South Africa itself, the Unit's work has two components: a Nonprofit component that seeks to increase the conflict resolving capital of community organisations and public sector organisations in society, and the Fee for Service component that involves equipping companies, corporates and private organisations and individuals with conflict resolution, negotiation and mediation skills.
Experiments in methodology
Regular methodology sessions during which staff experiment with, evaluate and share methodologies are conducted. The objective is to test our approaches, research African methodologies and support the various programmes within ACCORD, which all have a training component to their work. This is an ongoing process.
Latest Training News
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07.12.09
News | Training
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ACCORD's Executive Director, Vasu Gounden, was invited to be a resource person at the 'Joint South African-German Training Programme for Diplomats from SADC Countries' that ran from 23 November to the 1st of December 2009. The training was organised by the diplomatic academies of the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation, and the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany.
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13.11.09
News | Training
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ACCORD's Executive Director was invited to be a resource person at the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation’s diplomatic training, research and analysis conference hosted by DIRCO in Pretoria from 05-06 November 2009. The theme for the conference was “Closing the Gap Between Domestic and Foreign Policies”.
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09.01.09
News | Training
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The Founder and Executive Director of ACCORD, Vasu Gounden, was invited by the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) to be a resource person at a “Capacity Building in Dialogue and Mediation through Experience Sharing” workshop from 3-8 October 2008, in Debre Zeit, Ethiopia. The training was held for senior African Union (AU) and United Nations (UN) Staff.
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12.10.08
News | Training
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The Founder and Executive Director of ACCORD, Vasu Gounden, conducted a conflict management training for senior members from the Somali Joint Security Committee within the framework of the implementation of the Djibouti agreement. The training was held in Cape Town, South Africa, from 09-11 October 2008.
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12.10.08
News | Training
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ACCORD’s Intervention Department organised a study tour and conflict management training for 22 members of the Specialised Committee for Peace and Reconciliation of the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly. The Specialised Committee for Peace and Reconciliation is mainly responsible for planning, policymaking and formation of legislation to facilitate consolidation of peace and reconciliation in Southern Sudan. The Committee is also tasked with the responsibility to monitor and ensure the proper implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
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10.10.08
News | Training
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The Founder and Executive Director of ACCORD, Vasu Gounden, was invited by the Folke Bernadotte Academy to be a resource person at their “Capacity Building in Dialogue and Mediation through Experience Sharing” workshop that took place in Debre Zeit, Ethiopia, from 3-8 October 2008. The training was held for senior AU and UN Staff.
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16.09.08
News | Training
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The Founder and Executive Director of ACCORD, Vasu Gounden, along with Karishma Rajoo, the Manager of ACCORD’s Operations Division, were invited to conduct a negotiations skills conflict management training from 1-3 September, as part of the training curriculum for South Africa’s foreign service cadets.
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06.09.08
News | Training
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The Founder and Executive Director of ACCORD, Vasu Gounden, along with Karishma Rajoo, the Manager of ACCORD’s Operations Division, conducted a conflict management training at the South African Foreign Service Training Institute in Pretoria from 1-3 September 2008. The training focused on negotiation skills and was conducted as part of the programme for the diplomatic cadets.
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03.05.07
News | Training
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ACCORD recently ran a conflict management training for diplomatic cadets at the Congolese Diplomatic Academy of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The training was run over four days from 26-29 April, and focused on conflict analysis, negotiation and mediation, and strategy design.
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25.10.06
News | Training
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The Founder and Executive Director of ACCORD, Vasu Gounden, will conduct a training session at the South African Foreign Service Training Institute in Pretoria on 25 October 2006, as part of their Heads of Mission training.







