On 03 – 06 April 2025, ACCORD convened a Training of Trainers (ToT) Technical Case Study and Graduation Workshop in Nairobi, Kenya. The workshop culminated the 2024/25 cohort’s journey through the ToT Programme. The workshop brought together 13 participants from civil society and community-based organisations from Southern, Eastern and Central Africa. Over the course of 9 months, the participants deepened their conflict analysis and management skills, which started with a foundational Baseline Workshop. This was followed by a series of virtual Practice Sharing and Mentorship Sessions which enhanced their skills in developing and using case studies as teaching tools, altogether contributing to the conclusion of this impactful programme with this workshop.
Over the 4-day period participants enhanced their skills in developing and teaching case studies for a variety of conflict management contexts. Additionally, the workshop approach helped to strengthen their skills in adult-learning methodologies and affirmed the cohort as competent trainers.
Central to the workshop’s success was the opportunity for participants to showcase and teach their individual case studies. The exercise enriched the knowledge-sharing environment and enabled the participants to draw on their lived experiences, which offered a deeper and more personal perspective to their peers. Moreover, through incorporating indigenous knowledge and lived experiences into their teaching, the participants are able to transform their case studies into powerful tools for conflict resolution.
The workshop offered participants an opportunity for reflection on the conflict management material they had engaged with since the Baseline Workshop. Participants considered how they had applied the knowledge and skills they acquired, specifically, how the conflict analysis and management content impacted their activities or perspectives on training. The discussed which tools from the Baseline Workshop they had utilised in their training and the results of those implementations.
The activity concluded with a graduation ceremony on 06 April 2025, where the cohort was formally recognised for having completed the ToT Programme and affirmed as competent trainers. During the ceremony, Founder and Executive Director of ACCORD, Dr Vasu Gounden extended his congratulations to the cohort via video message, emphasising their vital role as peacebuilders in Africa’s complex and often conflict-sensitive environment. Trainers Mr Philip Visser and Ms Rene Ngwenya reflected on the growth and the journey which the group has undergone and the importance of self-awareness in becoming impactful trainers. Most notably, Mr Visser highlighted the role of peacebuilders as “alchemists” – those who transform pain into power, emphasising the profound impact these trainers will have in their respective communities.
