Becoming Peaceful & Building Peace

Current Training Opportunities (Khmer Speaking)

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A. Long-term Training Opportunities

1. TRAINING FOR PEACE (Part A)

Training For Peace (Part A) is a 4 Unit (3.5 days each unit) course focused upon building empathetic communication, conciliation skills and related attitudes. This is a foundational course and prerequisite for Part B.

Unit Titles:

Unit 1: Starting to step into the peace-building journey
Unit 2: Being the one who initiates resolution in my conflict
Unit 3: Good options to respond to conflict
Unit 4: How do I use my power in a way that helps to resolve conflict
Unit 5: Training of Trainer

2. CONFLICT RESOLUTION & TRANSFORMATION TRAINING (Part B)

The Conflict Resolution and Transformation Training (Part B) is also a 4 Unit (3.5 days each unit) for building skills in conflict counseling and mediation.

Unit Titles:

Unit 5: Training of Trainer
Unit 6: Gathering information about the conflict and problem analysis
Unit 7: Telling and listening to the story and problem identification
Unit 8: Problem solving and problem healing
Unit 9: Options generation and evaluation
Unit 10: Transformation and living with the new changes

3. TRAINING OF TRAINERS PROGRAM

The Training of Trainers Program is designed for graduates in order to support them in integrating peacebuilding initiatives in their home communities and organizations. This 1 Unit (5 days) training is offered separately for participants who complete Part A and those who continue to Part B.

4. BUILDING PEACEFUL FAMILIES (Part C)

This 6 Unit (3.5 days each unit) program offers specialized for graduates of our long term training programs whose organizations have an interest in deepening conflict counseling, mediation and peace education for families. Building Peaceful Families is currently being developed. A pilot program is scheduled for January - June 2010.

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For more information, including this year's schedule,
partnership opportunities, and costs,
please contact our Administration Unit
by email (admin@peacebridges.net)
or by telephone (023-880-100).

B. CONTINUED SUPPORT TO GRADUATES

1. PEACEBUILDER'S ALLIANCE

The Alliance meets six times a year to provide ongoing: encouragement, networking, support and training for graduates of our programs

2. COACHING AND CO-TRAINING

Based on staff availability and by request, Peace Bridges can also provide on-the-job coaching, co-training and support for graduates of our courses seeking to to spread vision, values and skills among their circles of influence.

C. CONSULTATIONS (Limited according to staff work loads)

Peace Bridges can also work with organizations to design and deliver:

Specialist training
Team Building
Mediation, conciliation and conflict coaching.

*Please see Team Consultation Services for more information.

D. ENGLISH LANGUAGE SERVICES

Peace Bridges also offers training for English speakers. In the past, this has included Mediation Across Cultures (a 120 hour intensive training) and Conflict Coaching (a 48 hour introduction to foundational concepts). Graduates can also participate in quarterly practice days where past content is reviewed and new training is offered, as well as providing a place to discuss peacebuilding challenges and encourage one another. Occasional public workshops and advanced trainings are also offered.

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For more information, including this year's schedule,
partnership opportunities, and costs,
please contact our Administration Unit
by email (admin@peacebridges.net)
or by telephone (023-880-100).

For a general introduction to our current services, please CLICK HERE.

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Mapping Peace Bridges' Mobilization

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Mobilizing the community peacebuilders we have trained is at the heart of Peace Bridges' vision for grass roots social transformation. For a picture of some of the amazing work Peace Bridges is privileged to be a part of here in Cambodia, click on the images below.

Peacebuilding throughout Cambodia

Peacebuilding in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

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Planning for Next Year?

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Mediation Across Cultures 2009

Mediation Across Cultures explores ways to help people deal constructively with conflict, beginning with yourself by leading participants through the mediation process.

This training is for English speakers who want to cultivate skills in conflict counseling, mediation and facilitation. Instruction will be through four modules (8 am – 3 pm, Monday to Friday) held once a month (August 24-28; September 21-25; October 19-23; November 16-20 2009).

Cost is $500 to $1500 (depending on financial circumstances).

For more information or to receive an application, please contact Peace Bridges: office: 023 880 100 * e-mail: admin@peacebridges.net *

Ask for the English-speaking training application form.

Or Download an Application HERE.

For more information about the course, continue reading HERE or contact David.

What others have said about the course -

"I think my goals were met and exceeded my expectations - especially the transformative nature of awareness in helping me to understand what 'I' bring to the conflict...."

"I found the learnings ... were very useful and practical for everyday life AND assist in effective conflict mediation."

"To say life-changing might be a bit strong, but I definitely feel this has brought more personal growth, insight, and understanding."

"I feel much better equipped and confident to enter into [conflict] situations and feel I have some valuable skills to share."

"I now see it as an investment and well worth every penny."

"The course has helped me in a large way to be much more aware of myself and others, recognizing feelings and needs and acquiring some great tools to help navigate through conflict."

"It was a great learning process for me personally and has [immediate] application to life."

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Training & Services Index

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Training & Partnership Opportunities

This page gives descriptions of the long-term training and partnership opportunities available to Khmer-speaking peacebuilders.

Current Services

This page describes each of our peacebuilding units and their goals.

Mapping Our Mobilization

This page includes maps of Phnom Penh and all of Cambodia, giving a visual overview of where some of our community peacebuilding activities are occurring.

Team Consultation Services

The overall goal of our team building consultation work is to support individual members of teams to develop healthy communication strategies within their team. Our approach varies according to the culture of team and the circumstance it is in. Click on the link above to learn more information about how Peace Bridges may be able to work with your team and organization.

Our History & Mandate

Peace Bridges is a non government organisation working under the auspices of the Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia as a Strategic Partner, with a mandate to promote unity, cooperation, and fairness by providing mediation and peacebuilding activities within Christian and other organizations in Cambodia.

Now Taking Applications for Mediation Across Cultures 2009

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Peace Bridges is providing an opportunity for up to 16 English speakers to cultivate skills in conflict counseling, mediation and facilitation.

Download the application or keep reading for more information.
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Our Vision
Our Methodology
Course Outline
Cost
For Information or an Application
Additional Information
______________________

A Vision for Peace

Peace Bridges is providing an opportunity for up to 16 English speakers to cultivate skills in conflict counseling, mediation and facilitation.

After the training, successful graduates will be given opportunity to participate in quarterly alumni activities, as well as receive support for developing training, programming, and interventions suitable for the graduate's situation.

Training Methodology

Training is participant-centered, and our learning builds on the experiences and skills of everyone in the room.

Content is designed to impact all four domains of learning:

~ Knowledge increased through seminars, readings, and mini lectures
~ Attitudes shaped through journaling, personal reflections and discussion
~ Skills development through regular role plays and coaching
~ Habits formed through review, reinforcement, and application in daily life

Course Outline

8am- 3pm, Monday through Friday, Phnom Penh

Unit One: August 24-28
~Introduction to effective peace maker strategies for conflicted groups
~ Exploring: Reconciliation, Mindful Awareness, Emotional Fluency, Culture & Conflict, and Empathetic Communication

Unit Two: ; September 21-25
~The mediation process: Case Assessment & Process Design; Creating Safety and Building Rapport; Story telling; Summarizing; Issues identification
~Exploring: Power & Empowerment, Conflict Analysis Tools, Confidentiality, Reframing & Other Skills

Unit Three: October 19-23
~The mediation process: Exploring Issues; Options generation
~Exploring: the Spectrum of Problem Solving – Healing, Intent-Action-Effect Model, Effective Questions

Unit Four: November 16-20
~ The mediation process: Options Evaluation, Agreements & Closure
~ Expressing Gratitude and Cultivating Self-Compassion
~Final review & Role Play; Skills Self-Assessment & Course Evaluations

Cost

is $450- to $1500- based upon financial circumstances. Peace Bridges can also provide lunch for participants at an extra charge.

For more information,
or To Receive An Application

Contact Peace Bridges
BY PHONE: 023 880 100
BY EMAIL: admin@peacebridges.net
ONLINE: http://peacebridges.blogspot.com/

Ask for the English-speaking training application form. Applications are due 30 June 2009.

Additional Information:

Key Selection criteria

• Training relates to the participant's roles in employment and/or community
• Fluency in written and spoken English
• Good inter-personal skills

Christian Foundation, Broad Application

Peace Bridges offers training and services on peace and reconciliation themes from a Christian perspective, yet diversity of thought is respected and enriches the learning.

Training facilitated by:

Barry Higgins (Bach. Theology; Post Grad. Diplomas in Mediation and Family Therapy) is the Director of Peace Bridges. He has 20 years of community based pastoral experience in ordained ministry and also worked as a mediation consultant in Australia before beginning with Peace Bridges in 2002. His work in Cambodia includes training design, facilitation and mediation consultancies with various groups.

David Ketchum (MA Intercultural Studies, Certificate in Mediation Across Cultures) is the Expatriate Advisor of Peace Bridges. He previously focused on community and pastoral care issues in various roles with churches in the USA. He joined Peace Bridges in August 2007 as a service worker for the Mennonite Central Committee.

Wendy Scott (Certificate in Mediation and Conflict Counseling, Certificate in Mediation Across Cultures) is Peace Bridges Khmer Speaking Training Advisor with a high competence in Khmer language and cultural issues related to conflict in Cambodia and can be available to participants for consultation on these issues.

Other local trainers and coaches will also be involved as possible.

Current Services

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Client Service Unit focuses on equipping people to manage conflict better by:

Offering Conflict Counseling and Mediation Training (CCMT), a 13 unit training program which skills up people to be formal and informal mediators and peace educators in their circles of influence (family, church, community, work place)
Delivering short term training and conflict mediation consultancies.
Considering options for future long term trainings that build on CCMT.

NOTE: See also our Team Building Consultation Services.

Partnership and Mobilisation Unit focuses on supporting those we equip to equip others by:

Mobilising graduates of CCMT (Peace Builders) to develop formal and informal peace interventions among their circles of influences. (family, church, community, work place)
Building a Peace Builders Alliance, a support network for Peace Builders that offers ongoing training, resource sharing and supervision of those providing conflict counseling, mediation and prevention training
Building partnership with people & organisations beneficial to Peace Bridges ongoing work.
Support and coaching to peace builders to ensure application of new skills, knowledge and attitudes in their circles of influence (work, family, church and community)

Family Violence Prevention Research Project is focused on determining the best ways PB might contribute to building healthy relationships in Cambodian families by:

Understanding the bigger picture of family violence in Cambodia
Making recommendations for a small research project on a specific area of interest within the wider picture
Developing recommendations on a pilot project and trialing the project with selected partners
Deciding on a way forward.

The English Speaking Service Unit focuses on cooperating with other units to build parallel services to English speakers, especially those with a strong potential to influence Cambodian partners we work with by:

Offering Mediation Across Cultures (MAC), a 20 day training program which skills up people to be formal and informal mediators and peace educators in their circles of influence (family, church, community, work place)
Delivering short term training and conflict mediation consultancies.
Considering options for future long term trainings that build on MAC
Mobilising and support gradates of MAC through an Alumni that cooperates with the Peace Builders Alliance.

The Administration Unit focuses providing logistics support to the Director and all staff by:

Supporting the director in donor relations and proposal formation
Providing logistical support for trainings, consultations, meetings and general running of the office
Accounting services

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Team Consultation Services

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A GENERAL GUIDE TO PEACE BRIDGES (PB) TEAM COMMUNICATION CONSULATION SERVICES

1. What we offer

The overall goal of our team building consultation work is to support individual members of teams to develop healthy communication strategies within their team. Our approach varies according to the culture of team and the circumstance it is in.

2, What usually happens?

Stage 1: Support a team to define what it is requesting of Peace Bridges and determine if Peace Bridges has the resources to address the request.

This involves building an understanding of the communication and relationship challenges a group is experiencing so we can assess specific ways we might be able to work with the team.

Step 1: Determine if the initial request fits the expertise Peace Bridges offers.
Step 2: Gain permission from those in authority to conduct a needs assessment of the team to better understand the situation.
Step 3: Set clear guidelines and expectations on how the needs assessment will be conducted by determining:
i) How to introduce Peace Bridges and the needs assessment process to the team
ii) Who will be involved in interviews and how
iii) Expectations of confidentiality for information shared
iv) How information from the needs assessment will be shared with the team and in what form.
v) How a team will process the ideas, recommendations and the way forward.
vi) The fee for service.
Step 4: Offer recommendations on how to move forward; the team processes these recommendations and decides on appropriate actions for their team. (Examples are included in Stage 2 below.)
In some instances a need assessment might include the completion of an inventory designed to assess team members’ perceptions of the team’s strengths and challenges. (See appendix A for an example inventory)

Stage 2 Design the consultation based upon the agreement of the team. This will vary. In some instances, the need assessment process has been sufficient in itself for the team to communicate and process concerns. In this case, the team can take things from here on their own and the consultation is concluded. At other times, recommendations will include further steps. Upon acceptance of these recommendations, PB will provide further services and the team will continue with the process.

PB recommendations are often about the types of processes that can be useful for the team. These can include:

Discussions to help people process issues in a private and confidential setting
Mediating between people who need to talk issues through
Group Facilitations
Education workshops to build up the abilities of the team to communicate better
Referrals to groups with specialisations different to PB
Suggestions on effective grievance handling processes and policies that might assist the team

Stage 3 Feedback and evaluation from the team about the services PB has provided. We find this process helps the team clarify the ways the service has benefited them and also gives PB useful ideas on how to improve the services we offer.

3. Values that inform our consultancy services.

Confidentiality. Our standard agreement for consultations is included in ‘4’ below. Sometimes PB will adjust this understanding based upon the situation. Where this is the case, any modifications will be discussed and agreed upon prior to the beginning of the consultation. Our core concern is to ensure everyone has clear and well thought our expectations about confidentiality before we begin.

Respect for the right of teams to determine their own organizational culture and structure. Our concern is to support groups and individuals to be aware of the impacts actions may have upon others. We have no authority to determine what a team should do.

Respect for the needs and feelings of a team as well as the individuals who make up that team. We seek to ensure that people are always given the opportunity to be heard and understood to the extent to which they choose to reveal themselves to others.

Professionalism and honesty. We will always seek to offer the best service we can and suggest referrals in instances where another group may be more qualified to deal with a matter.

4. Peace Bridges (PB) Policy On Respecting Confidentiality When Working With Organisations:

1. Confidentiality of information to groups outside the organization PB is consulting with:

PB holds confidential all communications, written or oral, which occur prior to, during, or after a consultation with the parties who are involved in the consultation. This includes:

discussions with parties or their representatives
information from referral sources
what parties said or did during consultation sessions
the content of any agreements reached
case files

This confidentiality precludes the PB Board of Governance, staff, or anyone else outside of the assigned consultancy team from any information about the consultancy.

The only exception to this rule is when a person’s life is under threat of significant harm in which case PB reserves the right to act according to the best interests of such a person/s. In extremely rare circumstances where this is deemed to be the case PB will act in the most sensitive and respectful manner possible to all involved in the consultancy. Every reasonable effort will be made to preserve the good name of the organization.

2. Confidentiality among parties who belong to the organization PB is providing team building consultancy services to:

The parties involved in a team building consultation are often encouraged to discuss issues of concern in one-on-one meetings with consultants as well as small group meetings. To build confidence in the consultation process the consultants will follow the guidelines below:

A) A consultant will assume that all information shared by a person in a meeting is confidential and will not share any of this information with other parties (including managers) without explicit permission.
B) A consultant will encourage the sharing of information between different people when-ever it is believed this will build greater appreciation and understanding in the team.
C) Consultants will encourage sharing of information by:
i) Asking a party for permission to share information with others, nearly always on the condition that the source of the information is also acknowledged.
ii) Supporting a party to share information with others either with the consultant present or without the consultant.
E) A consultant will not coerce a person to share information.

5. Fees for services.

PB is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to offer services to all, but especially those with insufficient financial resources to pay standard fees. One of our strategies for ensuring we are able to do this is to always charge for services at a cost that fits the financial circumstances of a group. Our rates are negotiated on a sliding scale.

All money received for services go back into PB equity fund to provide services to groups unable to afford them. No PB consultant receives any payment out of these funds, but may receive a standard support allowance based on PB policy unless they are already a full time employee or contracted volunteer paid by another employer.

Some of the issues we look at include:

The number of days needed: Preparation time and service delivery time.
The budget is calculated based upon our estimate of the time needed to deliver a quality service after determining what is required.
We will make a budget only for Stage 1 of a consultation on the understanding that a new agreement will be needed for anything beyond Stage 1 (based on a reassessment of the situation and the acceptance of further services).
Travel costs are waived for work in Phnom Penh.
Charges for hire of PB training or consultation rooms will be added.
All costs will be agreed to up front prior to the consultation and should PB overestimate the charges required, PB will reduce the fee accordingly.

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History & Mandate

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History:

In 2002, the Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia (EFC) appointed three task forces. One of them was assigned to issues related to "Unity" Under this Unity Task Force, the EFC board appointed a sub-committee assigned to develop specific and concrete strategies for dealing with conflict within the Cambodian churches. This sub-committee determined that conflict resolution ministries are very important and needed in the body of Christ. As a result, several groups began working together, both Khmer and expatriate in partnership with EFC leading to the creation of the Peace Bridges.

Mandate:

Peace Bridges is a non government organisation working under the auspices of the Evangelical Fellowship of Cambodia as a Strategic Partner, with a mandate to promote unity, cooperation, and fairness by providing mediation and peacebuilding activities within Christian and other organizations in Cambodia.

Vision:

To build bridges between people in conflict that moves them further down the path of appreciation, a ‘fair go’ for all, and respectful relationships.

Objectives:

Equip people to manage conflict in a better and fairer manner.
Provide conciliation, mediation and other services for dealing with conflict to Christian churches, organisations and the wider society.
Raise awareness of ways to deal with conflict and build peace, based on Christian values, to Christian Churches, organizations and the wider society.

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