The course focuses on the intersection of peacebuilding and local governance in countries affected by violent conflict. It addresses critical questions such as: How can local authorities, security actors, and civil society contribute to human security and peacebuilding? And how can peacebuilding programmes be consistently conflict-sensitive and avoid causing harm?
The course includes a pre-training, online learning module. It contains tools for analysing the political, socio-economic context of local violent conflict, as well as root causes, actors and dynamics. Participants will identify conflict risks, triggers, and conflict transformation opportunities. Additionally, they will work with future scenarios while applying a gender perspective.
Following the online module, participants will share their experiences with peacebuilding and security sector reform programmes in conflict-affected countries during a one-week in-person training. Under the guidance of international experts, they will reflect on the roles of various actors in conflict transformation and peacebuilding including local authorities, informal local leaders, civil society, justice and security actors. Cases of local peacebuilding and transitional justice programmes will be presented from a.o. Libya, Tunisia, Palestine, Congo, Colombia and Sudan. Participants furthermore critically assess the conflict and gender sensitivity of foreign interventions. The programme includes a visit to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
The course was a remarkable learning experience. I appreciated the sessions by the experts, the interaction with fellow participants and the real-life case studies. The programme provides theoretical approaches such as the human security approach, and also equips you with tools to implement them in practice. I also gained useful knowledge on what local governments can do to prevent violent conflict.
This course is designed for practitioners in peacebuilding, stabilization, security sector reform, and related fields. In order to deepen their understanding of the role of local actors in peacebuilding and security sector governance, participants will learn how to effectively engage them.
After this course, participants will receive a professional certificate of completion from The Hague Academy for Local Governance.
*Professionals working in local government or for local NGOs on the DAC list of ODA-recipient countries (OECD) may qualify for a reduced course fee. Contact us for details.
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
Experts who are involved in this course:
This course includes study visits to organisations that work on security at different levels. During the visit to the International Criminal Court (ICC), you have a chance to learn how it deals with international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. You will also discuss its impact on peace and security.
Additionally, the course explores the Dutch regional security cooperation structures. Together with experts and fellow practictioners, discuss examples of local government joining forces with the local police and citizens, to promote social cohesion and prevent conflict in their neighbourhoods.
Find the practical information for the course here.
After submitting your completed application, you will receive a confirmation of receipt. Once we have assessed your application and admitted you to the course, we will send you an invoice with payment details.
Payments can be made by bank transfer or by PayPal request. We offer the option of paying in one or two instalments. An advance payment of 50% secures the reservation of a seat at the training until the payment deadline. Your participation in the course is guaranteed only after receipt of full payment.
Please note that The Hague Academy accepts registrations on a first-paid, first-served policy.
Some countries require a visa to enter the Netherlands. Please check with The Netherlands or the embassy for the visa requirements related to your country. Because of the length of time needed for the visa procedure, we advise you to start this process as soon as possible. Once we have received your payment for the course, The Hague Academy will send you an acceptance letter which will assist you in arranging your visa to The Netherlands.
Under certain circumstances, participants may need to cancel their participation in the course. For cancellations before the payment deadline, we will reimburse the paid amounts minus an administration fee of €350.
To prevent late cancellation, we strongly encourage you to start with your visa application procedure at least six weeks before the start of the training programme.
We will charge a cancellation fee of 50% of the course fee for participants cancelling between four and two weeks prior to the start of the training. If you cancel your participation within the two-week period before the start of the course, then you have to pay 80% of the course fee.
No-show will result in paying 100% of the course fee.
It is always possible to nominate a suitably qualified candidate to replace you without extra charge, in the event that you cannot attend the course.
The Hague Academy for Local Governance reserves the right to cancel a course if the number of participants is insufficient or due to any other unforeseen circumstances. In this case, your payment will be 100% reimbursed. Other costs such as transportation or hotel cannot be reimbursed.
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs offers MSP scholarships for training courses in the Netherlands. The MENA Scholarship Programme (MSP) aims to enhance the skills, instincts, and abilities of professionals, empowering their organizations and communities to thrive in an ever-changing world.
For more information and eligibility criteria, please visit our Scholarships page. Note that scholarships have a separate application process.
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