AFSC-QPC
Peace Course

Objectives

establish a flexible, modular-based Peace Course at QPC, offering participants a theoretical basis and practical skills to empower them to act in their home, community and workplace.

QPC participated in the Leadership Team meeting in Harare in February to clarify issues related to future courses - dates, participants, themes, and to draw up an agreement between QPC and the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). Much time was dedicated to developing the course for July. Changes in the original framework created extra work in terms of additional accommodation and transport and the addition of a three-day induction and team-building session for the African participants.

The two-week 'Peace-building and Leadership Training Seminar' took place during July as scheduled with twenty-five young participants from Africa and the United States. The outcomes included an understanding of issues around Economic Justice and the ability to analyse conflicts. It also developed capacity in organizational skills and leadership - to write effective funding proposals and understand the principles of facilitation, public speaking, advocacy and lobbying on completion of the course.

The course was attended by mostly women, and facilitated by two women and two men. Although participants came from a diverse range of countries, the challenges for each participant were fairly similar, and this universality of problems served to unite the participants.