MONITORING AND ADVOCACY ON SECURITY GOVERNANCE IN WEST AFRICA

TRAINING ON TOOLS FOR MONITORING AND ADVOCACY ON SECURITY GOVERNANCE IN WEST AFRICA

Introduction

The CLEEN Foundation on behalf of Altus Global Alliance is organising the week long training for selected civil society representatives from West Africa on tools for monitoring and advocacy on security governance. The trainees will be thirty in all comprising of program officer level staff from civil society groups involved in conflict management, human rights advocacy, conflicts and violence prevention, security sector governance reform and demilitarization in West Africa.

Are you a program officer level staff from civil society groups involved in conflict management, human rights advocacy, conflicts and violence prevention, security sector governance reform and demilitarization in West Africa? Training on tools for monitoring and advocacy on security governance in West Africa at the Altus/CLEEN Foundation office would provide you with rich experience in this regard.

The weeklong training will be divided into two phases. Phase one which will cover the first three days will focus on how to assess and monitor security governance, with emphasis on effectiveness and accountability of security sector in conflict situations, including issues around Political control, financial accountability, legal framework for oversight, operational accountability and performance.

The second phase of the training, which will last for two days, will dwell on social media tools for mapping early warning signals and monitoring and disseminating information on security governance. These include how to set up crowd sourcing and event mapping platforms using Ushahidi applications; how to use text messaging, Twitter and Facebook accounts in mobilizing communities to protest unacceptable conduct by security forces, holding them to account as well as in pressing for vital reforms within the sector as well as ethical issues in the use of social media platforms.

Techniques that will be used in the weeklong training in order to make it experiential will include role-plays, audio-visuals, breakout assignments and simulation games. At the end of the training, the trainees will be given certificates of participation by Altus. A virtual network of NGOs working on security sector governance in West Africa will be established and supported by social media platforms and new technology to ensure that participants continue to engage and support one another in enhancing capacity of CSOs in the region to work on governance issues within the security sector.

Intending applicants should possess a minimum of first Degree or its equivalent from any recognized higher education institution from Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Sierra Leone with qualifications in the field of human rights, conflict prevention, management, peace building, social sciences and other related fields.

Purpose of the training

The training programme is intended to:

-    Increase beneficiaries knowledge of concepts, issues, strategies and good practices in Human Rights monitoring of security institutions, advocacy and reporting;

-    Enhance their depth in knowledge in governance, security sector reform, conflict prevention and management, demilitarization in West Africa;

-     Network beneficiaries with civil society actors and other strategic partners in supporting governance, SSR, monitoring and advocacy activities in West Africa.

Who Can Apply?

-     Program officer level staff from civil society groups involved in conflict management, human rights advocacy, conflicts and violence prevention, security sector governance reform and demilitarization in West Africa;

-          Civil society organizations that have participated in CLEEN Foundation’s internship programs and oragnisations working on regional wide issues closely linked to peace and security within ECOWAS states.  

Application Procedure

Interested applicants who meet the above requirements can download and fill the application form from the website of CLEEN Foundation (www.cleen.org) and forward the form with the following documents to the email address masog@cleen.org

-          A recent resume

-          A cover letter describing the nature of what the applicant has been engaged in and also areas of interest;

-          A recommendation letter from the organization

The duration of the training is one week. Every completed application will be valid for 10days from the date of submission. Candidates need not make fresh submissions within this period unless there have been significant developments altering the submitted application. Successful applicants are notified for the training on or before Monday 31 March, 2014

Financial Aspects

The Altus/CLEEN Foundation’s training programme on monitoring and advocacy for security sector governance in West Africa is on a non-remunerative basis. However, the cost of airfare, accommodation, and feeding for the period of six days would be provided by Altus for those selected through support from Ford Foundation. Training materials will also be provided for the selected persons. However, applicants that need travel and medical insurances will have to make the arrangements on their own before or on arrival and will bear the costs.