Capacity building: Youth participate in training workshop

SPADO organised the event with Umeed Jawan Project.

BAHAWALPUR:

The Sustainable Peace and Development Organisation (SPADO) in collaboration with Umeed Jawan Project and Global Organisation for Human Advancement and Reforms (GOHAR) Foundation, organised a training workshop for the youth that concluded late on Friday.

Around 150 students attended the workshop titled: Non-Violent Conflict Resolution and Peaceful Coexistence.

The objective of the workshop was to build the capacities of young men and women from Bahawalpur in peace, democracy and good governance.

Ismatullah and Saima Tufail, SPADO trainers from Islamabad, explained key concepts of peace and conflict and trained the students about how to respond to conflicts and different styles of non-violent conflict resolution.

Ismatullah focused on the concept of trust-building between parties, stating that a debate, a dialogue and a discussion were all different.



Raza Shah Khan, the SPADO executive director, explained the conflict and negotiation styles in detail. “A conflict between two parties can be resolved through several ways including avoiding, competing, collaborating, compromising, and accommodating,” he said.

The workshop also highlighted the various aspects of human identity, trust and civic engagement for peace and progress in the complex socio-economic and socio-political context of the area.

AG Chohan, the GOHAR Foundation executive director, concluded the training workshop by telling the participants about the way forward and seeking feedback from them.

Most participants said that it had been a beneficial experience for them. They said that SPADO and GOHAR Foundation should conduct more such workshops.

Chohan assured the youngsters of support in capacity building, advocacy, networking and career counselling. He encouraged the youth to enthusiastically participate in such events. He said that more such events would be organised in future in the area to help the youngsters.

The training workshop was attended by students of Islamia University, Sadiq Women University, some private colleges and madrassas of Ahmadpur East, Khairpur Tamewali, Yazman and Hasilpur.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 2^nd, 2014.