Laying the ground for Peace: A Holistic Approach to Community Violence Reduction

Background
Since their first implementation in Haiti in 2006, Community Violence Reduction (CVR) programmes have been implemented in various settings where armed conflict and violence have sparked and affected entire communities. Where the pre-conditions for a viable Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) programme – such as a peace agreement, a minimum level of security, political will and trust in the peace process – are missing, CVR’s quick, short-term, flexible and bottom-up approach can be used to engage armed groups and affected communities. Implemented alongside or instead of a DDR programme, CVR has become an important DDR-related tool that supports laying the ground for effectively targeting local drivers of violence, building social cohesion and creating space for dialogue and political process, and, as such, it has become an important preparatory mechanism for community stabilization.

About the Course
The Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Section (DDRS) of the United Nations Department of Peace Operations (DPO) together with the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (BICC), the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping & Peacebuilding (CCCPA), and the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA), with support from the Swiss Confederation, are organizing a training course entitled Laying the Ground for Peace: A Holistic Approach to Community Violence Reduction from 22 – 26 May 2023 in Stans, Switzerland. The course will introduce CVR as an opportunity to support the strategic objectives of a DDR process by contributing to the reduction of armed violence and building sustainable peace. It will adopt a holistic approach by critically reflecting the variety of CVR programmes, including challenges and opportunities, through the perspectives of field practitioners, academia, researchers and other individuals involved in CVR. The training course will also provide participants with a deepened understanding of the concept of CVR and its related aspects. It further aims at strengthening participants’ capacity to use CVR, where appropriate, to address DDR-related challenges, to improve the effectiveness of its implementation, in addition to providing a clearer understanding and guidance on CVR project conceptualization, development, monitoring and evaluation.

By the end of the training course, participants are expected to have improved their CVR competencies by being able to:

▪ assess whether CVR is an appropriate response in a specific context and make recommendations;
▪ translate the concept of CVR into a strategic plan/vision;
▪ contribute to the design, implementation, improvement and monitoring and evaluation of a CVR programme.

Methodology
This training course will take place in person and is designed applying a participatory approach. Participants will be required to actively engage during the entirety of the course, including through sharing experiences and lessons learned, reflecting on different aspects of CVR, working in groups, and presenting on selected topics. The training course will be conducted in English. No interpretation will be provided.

Target audience
This course addresses individuals at mid-level positions working in CVR and related areas at an operational and policy level, including:

▪ DDR/CVR staff working in international organizations;
▪ Representatives of national DDR commissions
▪ DDR focal points
▪ Field staff of international and national NGOs, as well as civil society organizations working with conflict-affected communities

As per Security Council resolution 1325, which sets out a clear and practical agenda for measuring the advancement of women in all aspects of peacebuilding, including DDR, it is the responsibility of all DDR stakeholders to work with female practitioners and actively include women in the formulation and implementation of DDR processes. As such, nominations of women for this training are highly recommended and encouraged.

Costs
The selected participants will have to organize and pay for their flight to and from Zurich Airport (ZRH). The Swiss Confederation will ensure the transportation of participants from and to Zurich Airport and will cover all costs related to meals, accommodation, and cultural programme. No Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) will be provided.

All the participants need to organize their visa and provide proof of adequate health insurance coverage prior to entering the territory of Switzerland. UN Laissez-Passer holders do not need a visa to enter Switzerland for a stay of up to 90 days.

Stipend
Aspiring participants encountering financial difficulties covering their travel costs can apply for a travel-support stipend. The support that organizers can offer is limited, hence applicants need to explicitly state/elaborate their need for support in their application file.

Application and selection
Interested entities/individuals can apply providing name, surname, title/position, organization, email address and motivation for participating in the training no later than Thursday, 13 April 2023 to Ms. Isaure Costet (email: isaure.costet@un.org), copying Mr. Marc Schibli (email: schibli@un.org). Please note that the number of participants is limited.

The course organisers will ensure that individuals are selected based on their background and the relevance of the training to their work.
Selected participants will be informed about their selection individually and provided with detailed information on the venue and the agenda of the training. Participants will be required to complete an online self-paced DDR introductory training prior to the CVR training course.