The format of the conference itself mirrored the desire for innovative exchange that seems to currently move the field. It was a dialogue among actors of different levels, from civil society to politicians, working in a combination of practical and theoretical tools, and represented by the different generations and ideas, motivation and philosophy they each carry.
The conference offered a wide range of workshops. The focus was placed on two key areas: the importance of training soft skills for peace work and the development of new software and online technologies for peace training.
Special attention was paid to the competencies and abilities needed by a peace and conflict worker for the tasks on the field. Leadership skills, mediation tools and concepts like self-care, gender, identity or ownership were thoroughly discussed. A number of organizations presented their own particular approaches, which included non-violent conflict prevention, understanding of the role of religion in conflict transformation, or implementation of evaluation results from the field directly into training programs. The newest developments have made evident a growing demand for creative methods within the training itself as well as in the field. Moreover, there seemed to be general consensus on the idea that adequate preparation for peace work does not result from short-term, condensed courses, but rather from carefully conceptualized, holistic, long-term approaches to training.
The second focal point of the conference grows out of this need: the use of new technological developments for the field. Beside games, conflict simulations and online exchange platforms created by different organizations, the United States Institute of Peace presented its self-learning platform and offered participants to try it out directly in the IT rooms of the Sigmund Freud University.
The team of the Academy for Conflict Transformation left the conference with an overall positive impression. As María Requena-López, Educational Consultant in the Academy, explains, “With our training offer, we are already successfully responding to the new trends and needs in the field. The emphasis we place on creativity and self-care, as well as our ongoing development of the online seminars make us trust that we are on our path towards better peace training – and we keep on making our best efforts to continue!”