Dates:	14th – 25th October 2019
Location:	Week 1: Doorn, the Netherlands – Week 2: Landgraaf, the Netherlands
Costs:	Course fees and full board accommodation will be covered by the organizers. Participants will only be requested to pay for their travel expenses and visa processing fees if applicable.
Language:	English
Entry level:	Veterans at Officers’ level (exceptionally non-commissioned officers with extensive experience will be considered)

Course announcement: here

INTRODUCTION

Increasingly, both governments and international organizations recognize that veterans deserve recognition and appreciation. Importantly, it is more and more recognised that veterans can be effective agents of change, drawing upon their experience, skills and extensive networks. The provision of proper capacity development support in the field of Peace and Security can equip veterans, and their organisations, to become effective agents of change, and thus, contributing significantly to the solution of conflicts in their communities, countries and internationally. In addition, an increased set of skills could facilitate many of them to find meaningful jobs and with positive social impact after their military career, something that remains challenging in many countries around the word.

THE VETERANS PEACE INITIATIVE

The World Veterans Federation (WVF, http://www.wvf-fmac.org/ ) is a large international organisation currently representing 172 veterans’ organisation in more than 121 countries. The WVF is fully aware that the specific knowledge and experience of veterans in the area of Peace and Security offers opportunities and would like to stimulate a more active and meaningful role for veterans in capacity building for peace and security. To achieve this goal, WVF has developed, in close cooperation with Transition International (TI, www.transitioninternational.com), a Dutch international consultancy firm, a global capacity development programme called the “Veterans Peace Initiative (VPI)”. The aim of the VPI is to foster the desired capacities of veterans and their organisations in the area of Peace and Security in its broadest sense. The VPI wishes to achieve this by organising a series of trainings in 10 countries, in combination with coaching and support to local veterans’ organisations. The WVF and TI will organise these trainings in collaboration with the Barcelona International Peace Centre  (BIPC, https://www.bcnpeacecenter.org/)

THIS TRAINING OF TRAINERS (TOT)

With the financial support of the Dutch “V-fonds” (https://www.vfonds.nl/) the first phase of the VPI will be launched in the form of a “Training of Trainers (ToT)”. This ToT aims at providing a selected group of veterans with up to date knowledge and tools in the field of peace and security, and the leadership and training skills to share this knowledge. The goal is to create a pool of senior trainers (veterans) who could then provide the trainings and coaching in the 10 countries (based on availability), and with this group to design the 10 country programmes.

During the two-week ToT, selected participants will be both trainers in their area of expertise as well as students learning from each other, complemented by some external experts. For this initiative we are looking for candidates from various countries, while impact in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (with inclusion of the Caribbean territories) will be ensured by continuously making the link with Dutch veterans and their institutions. For example, veterans from abroad might be recommended by a Dutch veteran or veteran organisation, and through NATO and similar international
co-operations.

The modules for the ToT are as follows:

Module 1. Introduction to peace and security

(Including sessions on: roots of conflict, stabilisation and conflict transformation, human rights and international law, Sustainable Development Goals and the UN system, access to justice and transitional justice, migration and durable solutions, governance and decentralisation in conflict, Local Economic Development, economic initiatives for peace and Gender in conflict).

Module 2. Strategies and tools to enhance security

(Including sessions on: Rule of law in conflict, Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR), Security Sector Reform (SSR), Community Violence Reduction (CVR) and community security approaches, Small Arms and Light Weapons control and management, Community Based Reintegration and Security (CBRS), Civil and Military Cooperation (CIMIC), release and reintegration of children associated with armed forces and groups and youth programming in conflict, peace and security).

Module 3. Violent extremism

(Including sessions on: Introduction to Violent Extremism (VE), prevention of VE, counter terrorism and foreign fighters, rehabilitation in and after detention, reintegration of people being accused of belonging to a “terrorist organisation”, and deradicalization).

Module 4. Competencies and communication

(Including sessions on: capacity development of veterans’s organistions, resource mobilisation, job and career paths in Peace and Security, veteran’s reintegration and organisations, mediation and dialogue, and communications and Public Relations (PR)).

Module 5. Training skills
As this workshop is developed to be a ToT, much attention will be paid to soft skills such as training, leadership and presentation skills.

Please find the application form here