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ACCORD brings together community workers, politicians, religious leaders, academics, legal and social work practitioners for programmes of training, intervention and research for conflict resolution. With the return of South Africa into the community of African nations, including the Organisation of African Unity, ACCORD now offers its services to the entire continent. In March, 1995, it hosted the African Conference on Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution which focused on the nature of the African State, the issue of sovereignty as it relates to conflict intervention and the responsibility of the State to the individual and vice versa. The Conference drew a wide range of policy and decision-makers from African governments, academics and practitioners, as well as non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations, including the UNESCO Culture of Peace Programme.
The Centre for International Studies in Nicaragua has been training peace promoters throughout Nicaragua in conflict resolution and community development skills and has established links with similar programmes elsewhere in the world. A network of peace teams has been established in 27 rural Nicaraguan. communities. Most of the peace promoters are ex soldiers from both sides of the civil war that was responsible for 70,000 deaths between 1981 and 1990. To date, over 1200 community leaders and ex soldiers have been trained. A core of some 97 ex-soldiers, both men and women, act as the core unit and have formed their own organization - the Peace and Development Network - preparing a programme of civic activities for communities in zones of conflict.
The effect is remarkable. As explained by one of the core members, an ex-soldier from the 'Resistencia' side of the civil war, 'When I was at my first workshop, it was an incredible thing Contras and Sandinistas here together! Someone said What's this?' We had to talk with and have relations
with our former enemies - the truth is that we felt strange. But after three workshops together, it has changed. Now we feel differently. We have confidence in each other. Now we are part of a great network of peace promoters. We work together for development because without reconciliation there can be no development.'
There are four aspects of the training programmes:
• Conflict Transformation - methods such as conflict resolution, active non-violence, mediation and negotiation, psychological aspects of violence, stress management, non violent communications, gender sensitivity, human rights standards and international peace-building.
• Community Relations and Management - including knowledge of local organizations and municipal authorities and skills such as crisis administration, team-building, managing diversity and organizational conflict.
• Planning and implementation of small projects - training and periodic follow-up for the planing, funding, and management of projects to reduce unemployment and increase incomes.
• International Exchange of Peace Building Experiences - each year the programme organizes an international meeting for groups involved in community peace building and reintegration of demobilized soldiers.
The international linkages of the Centre's programme have become so successful that exchanges are now in progress with similar programme in a number of countries from as far away as Mozambique. Plans are underway to establish an international network of peace and development promoters drawn from the ranks of ex-combatants and involving veterans organizations.
'We had to talk with and have relations with our former enemies... Now we are part of a great network of peace promoters. We work together for development because without reconciliation there can be no development.'