To provide people with a better understanding of the nature of conflict and democratic principles
To increase communication
between council members and villages residents
To decrease communal tension and pave the way for effective conciliation
The United States Agency for International Development
O ce for Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI) funded the
"Building Bridges" project which took place from March till July
2008.
Primarily, the project aimed to provide assistance in
establishing effective dialogue and resolving conflict on the
communal level. Thus, PCDD initiated a series of workshops in
six villages integrating members of municipality councils,
community leaders and families, familiarizing them with the
nature of conflicts, and equipping them with necessary tools
for mediation, creation of a cooperative environment and
conflict prevention.
Our participants were trained on principles and societal
phenomena such as democracy, prejudgment, stereotyping
and resolving conflicts. We carried out these trainings by
conducting open discussions and exercises among residents of
the villages in conflict to make peaceful negotiations almost
second nature.
Over 110 attendees noticed real changes in their own
behavior after the workshops, and violence decreased significantly
after the project's time span elapsed.
Participants unanimously agreed that their understandings and
convictions regarding resolving conflicts changed. They gradually
became convinced that every problem has more than one
solution.
The participants acquired communication skills that will assist
them in resolving every day obstacles, be it with their own
community or neighboring villages.
During the exercises, members of rival families realized that their
disagreements have always been manageable. The training was so
successful in fact, that we found ourselves celebrating the
engagement of a young man and woman from two previously
contending families!
