On 18 August 2013, Nabad-Curiye (Somali Peace-Creators) launched a Dialogue Facilitation training programme at Greencoat Place, the Initiatives of Change centre in London. Over 60 Somalis from all over Britain took part in an introductory event. Of them, 17 applicants were given places on the first training session which was delivered by Phoebe Gill and Lawrence Fearon.
Nabad-Curiye is a peace and trust-building initiative for Somali society which is led by Somalis from different walks of life across the UK. Nabad-Curiye is a programme of SIDD (Somali Initiative of Dialogue and Democracy) which is a partner of the Agenda for Reconciliation (AfR) programme of Initiatives of Change UK.
Phoebe Gill and Lawrence Fearon delivered similar Dialogue Facilitation courses for the Somali community a few years ago as a result of which the SIDD network came into being. The current course comprises six one-day sessions between 7 September and 26 October. It is hoped that this will be the first of many such courses, and that teams of trained Dialogue Facilitators will soon be available in Somalia offering their skills.
Nabad-Curiye promotes peace and coexistence among individuals, communities and the wider Somali people through the provision of training in dialogue facilitation courses/workshops, education in peacebuilding, campaigns for citizens’ awareness in rights and responsibilities, as well as the creation of resource material in the Somali language for peace and reconciliation. The aim is to build durable peace starting from the grassroots and progressing upwards to national level, with the dream of making Somalia a peaceful and a developed nation.
Nabad-Curiye hopes to be a real catalyst that removes conflict barriers which divide people, and hastens a national process that can lead to the restoration of harmony and trust among Somali people once again.
Muna Ismail
English