The third annual leadership development workshop 2009
صورة لمجموعة المشاركين في فعاليات الورشة السنوية الثالثة 2009
2009
Leadership Development Workshop
The third annual leadership development workshop gathered 32 participants, among them 24 leaders from Sudanese communities. Among the participants were the president and secretary of the Youth League of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, who flew in from South Sudan to participate in our annual workshop. Our workshop assembled an extremely diverse group of Sudanese, representing different religions, ethic groups, and regions. Participants were originally from South Sudan, Darfur, Nuba Mountains, and Northern Nubia. They came from different generations, with ages ranging from 20 to 40. The average age was 28.
Our participants back home are undergraduate or graduate students, peace activists, educators, college professors, social workers, community leaders, biologists, human right actives, computer scientists, members of the National Guard, models, journalists, computer designers, political leaders, directors of non-profit organizations and nurses.
Participants were able to overcome these divisions to identify opportunities for collaboration and synergy among the Sudanese Diaspora, focusing on how to engage in more dialogue, develop conflict manage skills, and build sustainable peace while meeting the challenges of globalization. Through the help of our outstanding senior fellows, participants learned the following skills:
• Generative Dialogue
• Servant Leadership
• Appreciative Inquiry
• Community Organizing
• Managing Conflict
We were privileged to have outstanding groups of speakers/mentors from multiple disciplines:
- Mr. Randall Butler. Executive Director of The Institute for Sustainable Peace
- Dr. Mark G. Chupp. Visiting Assistant Professor at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences of Case Western Reserve University
- Mr. Jean Marie Ngendayaho. Visiting Scholar in Residence at Texas Lutheran University; former Foreign Minister and Member of Parliament in Burundi
- Mrs. Shannon Sedgwick Davis. Partner at Bridgeway Foundation Capital Management Inc.
- Dr. Richard Stoll. Professor of Political Science at Rice University
- Mr. Mustafa Tameez. Principal of one of Houston’s Leading public affairs firms. Has served as advisor to Congressmen and state legislatures
- Dr. Robert Krueger. Former U.S. Senator and Ambassador to Burundi
- Ms. Ada Edwards. Three term Houston city council member and Deputy Chief off Staff for Neighborhood in Mayor Bill White’s office, civil rights and anti – apartheid activist
Each speaker invested a minimum of three days in the workshop and spent considerable time in significant one-one-one conversations with the participants.
At the end of the workshop we invited each participant to envision sustainable peace in Sudan 2013. Participants’ visions clustered around five different strategies for achieving peace and unity. We divided participants into groups according to their vision. In these groups, participants developed concrete action plans which they continue to work on. The groups were:
• Education group, which focused on building schools in Sudan
• Election group centered on helping people in the Sudanese Diaspora vote in the upcoming Sudanese elections
• Food security group aimed at improving agricultural enterprise in Sudan
• Healthcare group which seeks to provide equal access to health care in Sudan
• Institute for Sustainable Peace in Sudan group, hoping to offer a similar, Sudanese-led workshop inside Sudan
• Repatriation of Sudan group focused on efforts that need to be undertaken in Sudan before refugees can return home.
Here is some of the feedback from those who participated in the workshop:
‘‘This workshop had 3 effects on me. It reestablished the focus in my life. This workshop has expanded my perspective to the world. And I think I’m in a better position to understand how the world is. And I think that no matter what we go through as Sudanese, we should always keep our eyes open and hearts open for unity, love, respect. But the most important thing is we need to stay active and work for our country. I feel that I’m better equipped to lead…”
“If there is anything that has emerged from this workshop, it is our determination, commitment to work and provide and to give hope to those who have no hope on this globe.”
“I’ve never really been that close to people from South Sudan or North Sudan…This is going to lead me to a better future, a better role. This is going to help me help others.”
Mentors had this to say about this year’s participants:
“I’ve been very impressed with the caliber of leadership, the energy, the passion and vision for peace that resides in the hearts of these young adults from Sudan.”
“The Sudanese Diaspora is a force for peace working here in this country.”
“I go away encourage, energized and excited about the future of Sudan.”
As we move away from the workshop experience, The Institute for Sustainable Peace continues to build capacity in these leaders, helping them stay connected with one another, and reaching out to attract even more community leaders, non-profit organizations, students, political leaders and business people to join us in making our vision of sustainable peace in Sudan a reality.
خالص الاحترامات
MAKKI MAKKI
(عدل بواسطة مكي ابراهيم مكي on 08-15-2011, 07:07 PM)