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?
A pre-training, online learning module will be offered, to share 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, and 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 top 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 will be invited to 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.
Samuel G. Ford, participant 2020, Chief of Community Services, Liberia National Police.
Key Information
This course is designed for practitioners in peacebuilding, stabilization, security sector reform, and related fields who seek to deepen their understanding of the role of local actors in peacebuilding and security sector governance and learn how to effectively engage them.
The course will take place in The Hague from 18 November 2024 to 22 November 2024.
The course fee is € 2,500. This includes all training related costs as well as drinks and warm lunches during the training days. Group discounts are available if you participate with three or more colleagues.
This training takes place in The Hague, Netherlands.
After this course, you will receive a professional certificate of completion from The Hague Academy for Local Governance.
Learning objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
Develop peacebuilding programmes that are more gender- and conflict-sensitive;
Effectively engage local authorities and informal local leaders in peacebuilding and stabilisation programmes;
Foster cooperation between security, justice and civil society actors at the local level;
Design strategies and interventions using future scenario planning;
Access a network of experts and practitioners in your field of work to continue learning and developing your knowledge.
Experts
Experts who are involved in this course:
Dion van den Berg
Dion is a senior policy advisor at Pax for Peace with extensive experience in the promotion of interreligious dialogue, democratisation and municipal peace policies. He worked on local peacebuilding in the Balkans, Ukraine, Syria, DRC and South Sudan.
Brianne McGonigle Leyh
Brianne is an Associate Professor for the Institute of Human Rights at Utrecht University, where she specialises in human rights, transitional justice, victims’ rights and international criminal law. m participation in international criminal proceedings.
Ayman Ayoub
Lawyer & Assistant Director and the Head of the Middle East and North Africa Division at the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance – DCAF. Mr. Ayoub has more than 30 years of experience in peacebuilding, mediation and rule of law support. He served as senior expert and adviser for the UN system, the European […]
Cristina Hoyos
Cristina has over 25 years of experience in development cooperation, diplomacy, and security, as well as peace negotiations and conflict resolution, including leading multilateral and bilateral negotiations (UN, World Bank, NATO, OECD and African Development Bank). She is chairperson of the Network for Conflict Prevention and Development (OECD), Head of the Conflict Prevention and Transformation […]
Experience
You will go on study visits to organisations that work on security at different levels. You will visit, amongst others, the International Criminal Court (ICC), and 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, you will learn about the Dutch regional security cooperation structures. Furthermore, you will get to know examples of local government joining forces with the local police and citizens, to promote social cohesion and prevent conflict in their neighbourhoods.
Practical information
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 €150.
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.
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.
Scholarships
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.
At the Hague Academy, we specialise in developing training programmes that fit your specific needs. Contact us if you are interested in a customised training!