Dearfriends and colleagues of the Training for Peace (TfP) Programme. It is our pleasure to hereby provide you with some highlights of the last quarter, as well as a glimpse of what is to come. TfP is an international peacekeeping capacity building initiative in Africa, funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Its primary purpose is to contribute to the building of civilian and police capacities for peace operations in Africa. The partners of the Programme are the African Centre for Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) in Durban, the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Pretoria, the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra and the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) in Oslo. The main programme activities consist in training of civilian and police peacekeeping and peacebuilding personnel, applied research, publication, dissemination and policy development.

NEWS

 

New TfP International Advisory Board

 

The International Advisory Board (IAB) is an important asset to the programme. It advises the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the partners on strategic issues related to training, research, policies and advocacy. In 2007 the IAB was renewed and expanded and we are very pleased that the following prominent group of people has accepted appointment by the MFA to the board: 

 

Ramesh Thakur (reappointed member) (Centre for International Governance Innovation and University of Waterloo )
Lt General Daniel Opande (Former Commander of UNMIL)
Nasra Hassan (United Nations Information Service)
Ingelin Killengreen (National Police Commissioner of Norway )
Funmi Olonisakin (King’s College, University of London )
Nicholas Seymour (United Nations, Department of Peacekeeping Operations)  

Visit www.trainingforpeace.org

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE QUARTER

TfP Participation at the 13^th IAPTC Annual Conference in Stockholm

 

Representatives from all TfP partner institutions were present at the 13^th Annual Conference of the International Association of Peacekeeping Training Centres 24-28 September, this year hosted by the Folke Bernadotte Academy, Stockholm, Sweden. This year’s common theme was "Framing Training: Doctrine and Guidelines for Peace Operations". At the core of the theme was the draft of the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations Principles and Guideline, the so called Capstone Doctrine, and panel discussion dealt with a number of aspects surrounding the development of the Doctrine; from emerging doctrine and guidelines, operationalisation of such as well as their implications on education and training. The United Nations Department for Peacekeeping Operations (UN DPKO) was present with representatives from several divisions and the conference provided them with extensive input and feedback on the challenges from the perspectives of policy makers and practitioners in the field during the multifaceted discussions on the theme.

 

The conference also facilitated an Ideas Bazaar by creating a venue for exhibitions and stands for those interested in promoting their work and sharing their ideas on approaches to training in a broad sense. TfP staff came together in creating a display of recent publications ranging from research reports, to handbooks, policy papers and brochures.                                                           

More on IAPTC

TfP/ACCORD: Civilian Protection in Peace Operations Curriculum Development Workshop

TfP at ACCORD hosted a Civilian Protection in Peace Operations Curriculum Development Workshop (CDW) in Durban, South Africa, 8-9 October 2007. This workshop is the first in a series of activities to develop a Protection of Civilians in Peace Operations handbook. The handbook is intended to serve as a guide for all elements of peace operations (civilian, police and military) as they undertake civilian protection-related responsibilities. This initiative has been motivated by the fact that despite the emergence and importance of civilian protection, many personnel working in such contexts have an unclear comprehension of the concept of protection. Thus the handbook aims to contribute towards the understanding and clarification of the civilian protection roles and responsibilities of the various categories of peace operations personnel with a particular emphasis on providing practical guidance, i.e. how they can go about mainstreaming and or operationalizing protection in their daily work.

The workshop was attended by participants from the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), the United Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS), the UN Information Center (UNIC) in Pretoria, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Responsibility to Protect, Engaging Civil Society (R2PCS) project as well as private consultants.

The workshop group deliberated in great length the organization of the handbook in terms of the various sections and chapters and focus thereof. The next phase of the process will involve soliciting authors to write up a first draft of the chapters after which the authors will be brought together in an author’s workshop to jointly assess their inputs. It is anticipated that a first draft of the handbook will be produced in the third quarter of 2008 which will then be piloted in a UN mission. The feedback thereon will be incorporated into a final draft of the handbook which should be ready for distribution in early 2009.

Visit ACCORD

TfP/ISS: Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) Trainers' Course

TfP at ISS facilitated a course on Policing Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) from 13-18 August. The course which was held on behalf of the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (SARPCCO) and the Sub-regional Bureau of the Interpol in Harare, Zimbabwe, was hosted by the Royal Swaziland Police Service (RSPS) at the police training college in Matsapha, Swaziland. The course was attended by 22 police personnel from 11 of the SARPCCO member states. SARPCCO has identified the need for a standardised regional training programme on VAWC and TfP/ISS engages in needs-driven training and has provided support for the development of the training course.

The purpose of the course is both to standardise regional training for law enforcement officers and other stakeholders on VAWC in the Southern African Region and to create a culture of empathy and understanding to enable the police to more effectively identify, prevent and respond to such violence.

More on the course
Visit ISS

 

New TfP/KAIPTC publication: Counter-Terrorism and the National Security of African States: Points of Convergence and Departure by Andrews Atta-Asamoah

Summary: The practical buttress of Africa’s condemnation of terrorism and the recognition of the threat to the continent have culminated in the galvanisation of national, regional and international efforts towards counter-terrorism on the continent. By seeking the safety of citizens, protection of territorial integrity and preservation of the primacy of states, these efforts converge with the classical demands of the national security of African states. However, certain practical fallouts from their implementation such as human rights abuses diverge from the overarching purpose of national security of states and undermine national cohesion and democratic principles. This article juxtaposes post-9/11 counter-terrorism efforts in Africa and the national security of Africa states arguing that an appreciation of this important relationship has an implication on the allocation of national, regional and international resources towards counter-terrorism and the sense of ownership of counter-terrorism initiatives by African states. It concludes that whilst the proper implementation of counter-terrorism converges with national security of states, improper implementation and exploitation by political entities for parochial interests undermines national stability. It proposes that to prevent the occurrence of the escalation of conflict in Africa due to the counter-terrorism agenda, national, regional and international actors should responsibly prosecute and or oversee counter-terrorism on the continent as a central part of national security.

Visit KAIPTC

TfP/NUPI: Annual Seminar on the Security Situation in Sub-Saharan Africa

For the fifth year in a row NUPI invited colleagues and fellow researchers from ISS’ African Security Analysis Programme (ASAP) to NUPI and Norway to contribute to the Annual TfP Seminar on 4 October. Norwegian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Raymond Johansen, delivered the opening address and shared Norwegian perspectives on Peace and Security Challenges in Africa and thereby opened the first session which was devoted to a general overview of Peace and Conflict in Africa, including focus on the African Peace and Security Management Systems. The seminar further dealt with a special focus on the Great Lakes and the Horn of Africa and concluded by a session devoted to Sudan: China’s role in Sudan, a humanitarian perspective from Norwegian People’s Aid’s experience in Sudan and finally a finally an introduction to the challenges facing transformation of AMIS into UNAMID. The seminar created extensive interest and it accentuated the need for discussions on how to address African conflicts, the need for understanding who the dominant actors are and what the prospect for the future is.

Visit NUPI

TfP Associate: African Civilian Standby Roster for International Humanitarian and Peacekeeping Missions (AFDEM)

TfP works closely with African Civilian Standby Roster for International Humanitarian and Peacekeeping Missions (AFDEM), whose role is to provide the link between training and deployment. Civilians trained by TfP are placed on AFDEM's standby roster after having passed a thorough screening process. They then facilitate deployment to UN or African peace operations, or to UN agency or civil society positions.

AFDEM, through TfP, is currently involved in shortlisting civilian candidates for UN DPKO, for potential recruitment to UNAMID.

Visit AFDEM

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Programme Meetings

On 24 October the TfP programme convenes for its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, while the International Advisory Board convenes on 26 October. Both are important forums for reviewing status and recent developments, discussing immediate challenges and provide strategic direction, respectively. 

Scheduled Courses
8-20 October: NAMPOL Standby Training 2, Namibia (ISS)

29 October - 10 November: SARPCCO UNPOC Trainers Clinic, Lesotho (ISS)

5-9 November: HIV/AIDS Level Pilot Course (ISS)

12-23 November: Media Operations Course (KAIPTC)

26-30 November: Course Design - Human Rights (KATIPC)

15-16 November: SARPCCO HIV/AIDS Task Team Meeting 2 (ISS)

19-30 November: EAPCCO UNPOC Trainers Course 2 and EAPCCO Task Team Meeting (ISS)

PAST 2007 TFP ACTIVITIES

Date	Events	Host
15 -19 Jan	Corrections Offisers’ Course	KAIPTC
05-09 Feb	Lesotho Mounted Police Service Pre-mission Training for Darfur	ISS
07-09 Feb	DPKO Women's Constituencies Strategy Workshop	ACCORD
06 Feb - 02 Mar	ToT Conflict Management for Peacekeepers	ACCORD
12-14 Mar	IQPC Conference - Peacekeeping and Stability Operations	ACCORD
19-31 Mar	SARPCCO UNPOC Trainers Course 1, Botswana	ISS
30 Mar	Film Seminar: The Peacekeepers	NUPI
09-21 Apr	NAMPOL UNPOC Course 1, Namibia	ISS
11-13 Apr	AU African Standby Force (ASF) Technical Experts Task Team Meeting, Addis Ababa (ACCORD)	ACCORD
24-26 Apr	ASF Training Support and Coordination Workshop, Addis Ababa	APSTA – ISS
03 May	Book Launch: Unintended Consequences of Peacekeeping, Oslo	NUPI
07-18 May	SARPCCO UNPOC Trainers Course 2, Zimbabwe	ISS
07-18 May	NAMPOL UN Police Stand-By Training Course, Windhoek	ISS
21-25 May	Civilian Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding Course	ACCORD
23-24 May	HIV/AIDS Task Team Meeting 1	ISS
27-29 May	EAPCCO UNPOC Task Team Meeting	ISS
28 Jul - 02 Aug	12th SARPCCO AGM, Lusaka
06-11 Aug	EASBRICOM Meeting, Nairobi	ISS
13-18 Aug	SARPCCO Violence Against Women and Children Trainers Course, Swaziland	ISS
15-25 Aug	LMPS Standby Training, Lesotho	ISS
03-15 Sep	NAMPOL UNPOC Trainers 2, Namibia	ISS
17-21 Sep	CPPC DDR Specialisation Course	ACCORD
25-27 Sep	SARPCCO HIV/AIDS Task Team Meeting 1, South Africa	ISS
04 Oct	TfP Annual Seminar on the Security Situation in Sub-Saharan Africa	NUPI
04-05 Oct	South African National War College Peace Support Operations Seminar, South Africa	ISS
05 Oct 2007	ISS Seminar, Pretoria: The AU-UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur: Understanding the Mechanism and the Pitfalls and Challenges to a Bold Strategy	ISS
08-20 Oct	NAMPOL Standby Training 2, Namibia	(ISS)