Young Enumerators and Mediators (YEM) capacity development
Context
Ninewa Governorate in north-western Iraq continues to be severely affected by the aftermath of the occupation by the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS) and the subsequent liberation struggles. The public social and productive infrastructure is still partially or completely destroyed. The local administrative structures are largely incapable of action and cannot fulfil the state’s obligations to care for the population. As a result, access to public social services is very limited. Formerly existing economic structures, which provided the basis for livelihoods and income generation opportunities, have been destroyed by the harsh consequences of the conflict.
Ninewa Governorate still hosts a considerably large number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and is both a governorate of origin and of displacement for many displaced. Also, the recently increased number of returnees to their areas of origin requires a greater attention and efforts in preventing violent escalation, particularly the competition and tensions caused by the lack of services, lack of employment opportunities and economic hardship.
Project description
The Young Enumerators and Mediators YEM capacity development project, is part of the GIZ project “Strengthening resilience in dealing with crises and conflicts in Ninewa, Iraq (SRN)”. The SRN aims to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable populations through the construction and rehabilitation of basic public social infrastructure, livelihood activities, as well as peace-building measures. Furthermore, the project adopts a context- and conflict-sensitive approach in all fields of action.
Within this broader project, AMBERO Consulting, together with its consortium partners Conflict Management Consulting (CMC) and CRISP – Conflict Transformation and Civic Education is responsible for implementing a capacity building project with young people (aged 18-35 years) in Ninewa governorate, to become skilled enumerators and mediators, who are capable of solving small-scale community disputes independently after completion of the project. The YEM project works with youth from the five targeted districts: Tel Afar, Mosul, Hamdaniya, Sinjar, and Tel Kaif (200 youth in total) with the overall objective of establishing a sustainable community of practice (CoP) of young peacebuilding practitioners and mediators.
The YEM project aims at giving youth the opportunity to be involved in both, creating informed evidence for local conflict analysis through data collection and also addressing local disputes themselves, taking into consideration the knowledge from formal peace and conflict studies and professional approaches such as mediation, interest-based negotiation. While these techniques use resource-oriented, people-centred and inclusive approaches for conflict transformation, the young mediators should also understand, reflect and incorporate all useful elements of local and traditional conflict settlement approaches, such as the role of elders and tribal law.
Being the largest and most affected segment in society, young people are increasingly recognized as a key stakeholder for inclusive peace processes on the local and national level, yet their actual contribution and chances for direct engagement in conflict transformation remain very limited.
One side of the project objective is directed at developing the capacity of youth, giving them real-life opportunities to put their knowledge into practice and therefore bringing the young generation’s perspective to the negotiation table. The other side will focus on sustaining the impacts and building a community of practice that functions beyond the project’s lifetime, which will happen through integration of the YEM Alumni into other peacebuilding activities of the GIZ SRN project.
Services
- Capacity Development of 200 young enumerators
- Development of training curriculum: data collection, interviewing techniques, actors mapping, research, and basic principles of research approaches, Do-No-Harm approach, conflict- and context-sensitivity.
- Guided data collection period
- Capacity Development of 80 young conflict advisors
- Conflict analysis and conflict management
- Practical experience: real-life conflict solving
- Capacity Development of 30 young mediators
- Mediation in Iraq: Commonalities and differences with local conflict resolution practices
- Principles of mediation/ethical self-conception
- Theory and practice of different approaches
- Case documentation
- Institutionalization of a Community of Practice
- Sustainable community of practice: bringing YEM and leading Iraqi and international organizations and consultancies together.
- Job fairs, networking platform, study trips
Sustainable Development Goals
This project acts on implementing the following Sustainable Development Goals:
SDGs
Goal 4: Quality Education – The YEM project provides capacity building and training to young people, enhancing their skills in data collection, conflict analysis, and mediation. This aligns with the goal of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Goal 5: Gender Equality – By involving young people, including young women, in peacebuilding and mediation processes, the project promotes gender equality and empowers all women and girls. Ensuring that women have equal opportunities in capacity building and conflict resolution is crucial for achieving this goal.
Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – The training and capacity development provided by the YEM project enhance the employability and economic prospects of young people, contributing to sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, and decent work for all.
Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities – By empowering youth from vulnerable and diverse communities, the project aims to reduce inequalities within and among communities. It ensures that young people from different ethnic and social backgrounds have equal opportunities to participate in peacebuilding and mediation.
Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – The YEM project contributes to making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable by addressing local disputes, promoting social cohesion, and enhancing community resilience through the involvement of trained young mediators.
Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions – This goal is directly aligned with the project’s focus on promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, providing access to justice, and building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions. The YEM project fosters peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and the establishment of a community of practice among young people in conflict-affected areas.
Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals – The project involves collaboration between various stakeholders, including AMBERO Consulting, Conflict Management Consulting (CMC), CRISP – Conflict Transformation and Civic Education, and GIZ. This multi-stakeholder partnership is essential for mobilizing and sharing knowledge, expertise, technology, and financial resources to support the achievement of the SDGs
