The training is implemented by Teso Initiative for Peace in partnership with WeltHungerHilfe in Lira district. This has take place from July 20th – 22nd 2010. Participants are expected to be role models in conflict mediation and mitigation as they carry out community peace and development work in their respective designated communities.

As Uganda prepares itself for presidential, parliamentary and council elections in 2011, many political aspirants usually tend to indulge themselves in propaganda, which more than often generates violence. Rather than use their manifesto and working together to serve community interest, people resort t verbal and physical violence.

In an attempt to promote a spirit of Non-Violence and political tolerance, TIP came up with a project that is targeting political party leaders to engage them in training to instill in them a spirit of non-violence during their political campaigns. This project is targeting active political parties (NRMO, FDC, DP, and UPC) in the three districts of Soroti, Amuria and Katakwi. After the training, political part executives of the four parties came up with strategies to promote Non-Violent politics. They have therefore embarked on a campaign for Non-Violent politics in the region, through radio talk shows. They cited “Verbal Violence” as the worst form of Violence which most politicians are always involved in. During the talk shows, they called upon all the people who are engaged in politics to focus on issues of development in their political campaign manifesto, rather than pointing fingers at individuals, which may divide the communities.

These campaigns have also beefed up the work of the Electoral Commission, as political party executives have taken initiative to carry out civic education for their electorates at the grassroots. This is inclusive of sensitization on the election process, moral conducts before, during and after elections, and encouraging all adults to up-date or register for voting as the only way of exercising their power of choosing their leaders.

The party executives have recommended to TIP to role this kind of training of Non-Violence to Sub-County levels and consequently the grass root communities will be sensitized on their citizen manifesto.

Out of the partnership with ded, Teso Initiative for Peace (TIP) and their other local partners and NGOs have benefited from a training on Conflict Mediation skills. The training covered staff of many local NGOs handling peace building in the region.

Participants were involved actively in practical application of the skills of Mediation in the conflict situations at their local settings. They covered topics such as principles of Mediation, stages of mediation active listening, modes of conflict behavior, mediation techniques, communication and the frequent practical exercises.

On graduation the participants developed strategies and came up with the way forward for implementing Mediation at Organizations and individuals levels.

The trainings encompass peace building and conflict transformation skills, Cinema Education, group dynamics and enterprise selection, for a possible integration of community livelihood support for sustainable peaceful co-existence and development

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