Training program “Conflict Resolution and Community Peacebuilding Skills”
Pal-Think for Strategic Studies launched a training program titled “Conflict Resolution and Community Peacebuilding Skills” within the Youth Political Club (YPC) project funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). The project aims at building the capacities of 25 Palestinian youth selected carefully, and train them on strategic thinking and community service.
The training was opened by the trainer, Mahmoud Abdelhadi, welcoming the trainees and preluding about the culture of nonviolence and coexistence within the Palestinian community during the current dire economic and social circumstances. “The true treasure is youth, and Pal-Think gives training programs that fit their needs as well as the society’s and follows-up with them after the end of the training as agents of change in the society. This leaves a real impact in the community,” he said.
The first day of the training discussed the concept of “conflict” and the stages in which conflicts usually develop and arise, and common ways in which to deal with them. Trainees also participated in a variety of group activities that encourage working in a team and urge cooperation and understanding.
Trainees showed a great interest in the topic of the training where Heba Alabadlah, 26, who is a journalist, said that this training is of great importance because the community is in constant development, as are conflicts. Conflicts start at home between members of the one family up to the greater conflict, which is the Palestinian division. We, the youth, have to accept one another and coexist in peace with each other.” She added that “as always, Pal-Think’s projects are very important. Trainees are selected carefully, and then followed-up with afterwards.”
Another trainee, Salah Alrozzi, 20, a law student, said “this training is very important because it serves as the building block for anyone who wants to become a social activist. As a Palestinian citizen who believes in peace, I live in a region full of struggle and conflicts, so we have to understand the nature of conflicts in the community to be able to deal with it.”
The YPC project will extend to April 2020 and will have covered a variety of activities programmed to found a human infrastructure of change. It started with a series of lectures on law, history, democracy, and other topics of priority to Palestinians. Lectures are then followed by a series of training modules in the following topics: Communication and Leadership Skills, Social Media and Personal Branding Skills, Conflict Resolution and Community Peacebuilding Skills, Policy Writing Skills, and Lobbying and Advocacy Campaigning Skills. The capstone project for the YPC members in this project will be planning and implementing community initiatives to apply their skills in giving back to the community.
