News and Events

The advanced Training of Trainers course (17th to 21st April, 2012, Adama Nazareth, Ethiopia)

The training was carried out as a consultancy for IGAD and it brought together several IGAD partners in South Sudan and IGAD staff members. The partners represented civil servants and civil society working in collaboration with government institutions.  

Read more: The advanced Training of Trainers course (17th to 21st April, 2012, Adama Nazareth, Ethiopia)

Book launch: Achievements, Challenges and Opportunities for Kenyan Women

The Coalition for Peace in Africa (COPA) is please to announce the official launching of its book:

‘Achievements, challenges and opportunities for women in the conflict zones of Kenya’s Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia & Mount Elgon: A Dissection of the UN SCR 1325 & Kenya’s New Constitution'

In this book, the stories of 25  rural women working towards the empowerment and protection of other women are presented. The book is showcasing tangible evidences of gains rural women in the targeted areas have been able to achieve as a result of the opportunities the UN SCR 1325 and the new constitution have opened up.

With this book COPA is acknowledging the efforts of the featured women and is aiming at using it to reach out to other women beyond the project’s geographical reach as well as increase awareness about the realities at the grassroots.

Read about the struggles, obstacles, success stories and suggestions of rural women working towards realizing women's rights and empowerment. 

Download the book here: Achievement, Challenges and Opportunities for  Women

Note: So as to enable all interested to access the book irregardless of quality of internet connection, the version included in our web is of low resolution. A high resolution version is available upon request by emailing: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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Conflict Management and Peacebuilding course for the Eastern Africa Standby Force

COPA delivered after request a two week training to the EASF so as to improve the conflict management and peacbuilding skills of the selected staff members.  The aim of the course as approved in the Civilian Course Prospectus by the Council is to impart conflict management skills in the form of negotiation, mediation and facilitation, to EASF targeted Civilian Peacekeepers and Peacebuilders. The training was organized by the EASF and facilitated by COPA from 30^th October to 11^th November 2011 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Summary of the Content

• Theories of conflict
• Understanding conflict
• Conflict mapping
• Principles and methods of negotiation and mediation ( simulation exercise)
• The processes of developing peace agreement (community & national level)
• Conflict Transformation(case studies)
• Facilitation skills
• Truth and reconciliation commissions
• The role of the international community

The training brought together civil servants and civil society working in collaboration with government institutions from Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Somalia, Ethiopia, Comoros, Djibouti, Southern Sudan and Sudan. The rich mix of nationalities and backgrounds provided a good platform for exchanging ideas on strategies that different organizations have successfully put in place to positively impact on conflict situations.   All the trainees were nominees of the Eastern Africa Standby Force – Civilian Component. 

The training aimed at providing them with practical skills of intervention in conflict situations so that they can effectively undertake peace keeping missions as civilians alongside trained military personnel from regional and international bodies. The training content was largely motivated by the ongoing conflict and post conflict reconstruction in the east Africa region and provided room for participants to reflect on what has been done, what has worked and what needs to be replicated in countries that seem to be entangled in cycles of violence.