The Canadian Institute for Conflict Resolution, CICR, partnered with the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) Ukraine and their local partner ELEOS Poland to deliver Third-Party Neutral and Community Dialogue Facilitator Training to equip community leaders (involving both host communities and refugee members) as facilitators of social dialogue to identify and implement projects that will benefit their communities.
The training is a key component of IOCC’s Community Support Program (CSP), implemented jointly by IOCC and ELEOS Poland, which aims to empower communities and local authorities to strengthen individual and community bonding and to reduce social tensions that may lead to conflict caused by misperceptions or competition for resources.
Participants developed competencies as social leaders and group facilitators, enabling them to organize community dialogues and small projects with long-term, measurable benefits for their local community. These projects will foster joint action between Poles and Ukrainians and leave a lasting impact on their towns.
The 5-day workshop, led by CICR trainers Souleiman Kassouha and Rasha Kaba, was held in Supraśl, Poland. Members of local communities from all over the country, including Poles and Ukrainians, gained practical experience in mediation, conflict resolution, and joint project implementation for social participation.
The training is relevant because positive interactions coupled with empowering local community representatives in non-violent communication techniques and conflict resolution principles have shown remarkable potential to diffuse tensions and resolve conflicts.
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