Training Tracks 2018
1. Trustbuilding in a diverse world: history, identity, and equity
2. Strengthening your democratic skills
3. Mindfulness through Playfulness
4. Exploring a Culture of Peace through Personal Change and Well-being
5. Telling a new story - Questioning identities
6. Heart-centred approaches to the refugee crisis
7. Non-violent communication as a dialogue approach
8. Philosophical Counseling: New approaches to social inclusion
9. Migrants and refugees as re-builders and social entrepreneurs

1. Trustbuilding in a diverse world: history, identity, and equity
Trainers: Rob Corcoran and Ebony Walden
This training track offers specific leadership tools to overcome false concepts of ethnic/racial hierarchy, xenophobia and exclusion, and aims to build social cohesion that values every human being. The interactive sessions explore four key areas of learning for individuals seeking to build trust and social cohesion in our increasingly diverse communities.
The areas of learning are:
- The role of each individual in becoming an authentic trustbuilder and agent for change;
- The power of history and memory in shaping community narratives;
- Dialogue design to build trust and discern core issues;
- Steps to build diverse teams and networks across boundaries of race, culture, religion, and politics to build healthy, inclusive communities.
The training is based on more than three decades of domestic and internationally recognized community-based work by Hope in the Cities in Richmond, Virginia, USA.


2. Strengthening your democratic skills
Trainers: Stefanie Schuddebeurs and Laura Reijnders
This training track will provide participants with a profound insight into the importance and processes involved in democratic conversations that mirror both the right to speak as well as the right to be listened to.
How should we take decisions that fairly reflect the needs and interests of the group? What does that involve? This course is not meant for deep theoretical discussions about different norms of democracy or state building, but will explore instead what it means to have a democratic conversation in daily settings, where one is both authentic and inclusive of all interests, which to us is the crux of a strong democracy. This training track gives practical insight into the art of listening, offers exercises in which participants are invited to challenge their assumptions, and addresses questions on the power balance in groups.
Since this training track has a strong experiential learning approach, participants will gain new insights into the art of listening to themselves as well as to others. You will leave with a toolbox of exercises and models that you can apply in your own contexts to enhance democratic decision-making processes, for instance in (group) work and/ or project settings.


3. Mindfulness through Playfulness
Trainers: Txema Perez and Lana Biba
Txema Perez and Lana Biba of 2theatre / London Physical Theatre School will offer a full training course in ‘Mindfulness through Playfulness’ as an approach to building social cohesion in Europe.
The course will include platform theatre, mime techniques, character building, and voice exploration. This training track will be a playful combination of mindfulness and theatre techniques. While working on awareness and empathy with others we will see how a small change in each participant can bring about a new group dynamic.
Platform Theatre – A group of actors will tell an epic story in a contained performing space. This genre is a compact version of theatre or film. It offers a deeper understanding of the dramatic structure of a piece and demands extensive cooperation between cast members.
Mime techniques – This session will illustrate full body control and captivating movement quality for public performances. This is an intensive dive into techniques such as ‘fixed point’ and ‘making visible the invisible’, from French classics such as Marcel Marceau to Modern Mime.


2theatre is an international, London-based award-winning company formed in 2011 by Lana Biba and Txema Perez, both graduates from the London International School of Performing Arts (LISPA). 2theatre’s work addresses the common themes of humanity that underlie cultural differences, aiming to create theatre that touches people all around the world. Previous work includes the Edinburgh Fringe success ‘Losing It’ and tours in Finland, Greece, Norway, Canada, India, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the USA. 2theatre’s educational branch, the London Physical Theatre School, delivers courses at universities abroad, and is a casting partner at Cirque du Soleil. www.2theatre.com / www.physicaltheatreschool.com
4. Exploring a Culture of Peace Through Personal Change and Well-Being
Trainers: Tissione Parmar and Agata Stajar
Often social change focuses on structures and policies without acknowledging the need for personal and interpersonal change.
These personal and interpersonal dimensions are necessary in order to learn how to deal with the challenges of the world, how to identify the root causes of violence and how to deal with them. By focusing on 3 pillars, this training explores how violence can be prevented:
The Personal Pillar
Wellbeing - This refers to creating balance in our personal lives which takes into account our fundamental needs and our mental and emotional health.
The Interpersonal Pillar
Connecting to others through understanding and communication to reveal our common humanity and to create cultures of trust, rather than fear.
The Planetary Pillar
Connecting to our purpose for the world and our communities and also connecting to the natural world in order to work towards a vision of peace which includes the nature and environment.
The participants will learn how to connect with themselves and each other as a foundation for creating cultures of trust and social cohesion. They will explore concrete tools for the mind and body, and will explore emotions in relation to creating a culture of peace.

Alive Peace is an international project promoting a culture of peace through experiential workshops, trainings and retreats across Europe. It is a group of international facilitators with specialities in the fields of peacebuilding, international development well-being and youth work who create carefully crafted spaces which offer processes of exploration, insight and transformation. Alive Peace was co-founded by Tissione Parmar, Agata Stajer and Laura Aldrighetti and is based in Switzerland. www.alivepeace.org
5. Telling a New Story – Questioning Identities
Trainers: Jean Brown and Amina Dikedi-Ajakaive
This training track offers the opportunity to explore the relationship between personal, community and global narratives. What are the historic narratives that inform communal relationships? What are the stories that shape identities? Is my personal story stuck or growing?
In an increasingly fragile and divided world stories can heal, stories can harm. We will explore an invitation to take responsibility for the stories we tell and to transform them for the future benefit of our communities and in the cause of peace. What might it mean to be an advocate for a new story’– the story of our shared humanity?
Over the course of the sessions, each participant will have the chance to investigate their own sense of identity, and to prepare and tell an aspect of their own story as a tool for peace advocacy.
The areas of learning are:
- The potential of each individual in becoming an ‘advocate for a new story’
- Skills in listening deeply to ourselves and others as a means for healing
- The role of storysharing as a tool for deepening connections and advocating for peace
- Exploration of the contexts in which the stories we each carry might be transformative
- Understanding issues of identity
- Experiencing a shared humanity
The training will help develop a new methodology and theme for the work of Creators of Peace.

Amina Dikedi-Ajakaiye has been actively involved in the work of the Initiatives of Change (IofC) since 1982. Originally a teacher, Amina decided to change her profession and run a fashion business in Lagos. While involved in her profession, Amina remained involved with IofC volunteer work. In 2000, as a member of the IofC International Coordination Group, Amina and others ran international pan-African ethical leadership programmes across Africa. In 2013, Amina was contracted as Project Leader to support the South Sudan Initiative for Peace and National Reconciliation. From 1994 to 2013 Amina served as International Coordinator to the Creators of Peace (CoP). She has been a Board member of IofC Nigeria since 2012 and a member of the IofC African Coordination Group (ACG) 2007 – 2010. From March 2014 to 2017 she served as convenor of the ACG. Amina is currently the President of Creators of Peace International. Through her work and her caring approach, Amina has earned the respect, trust and friendship of a large network of individuals throughout Africa and many countries beyond, from Presidents, and politicians, senior civil servants, traditional leaders, educators, business people and ordinary citizens. She has an ongoing involvement through these friendships in many countries, including the Great Lakes Region, Sierra Leone, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe. She worked with the programme Agenda for Reconciliation for over 10 years. Amina is married and lives in UK.
6. Heart-centred approaches to the refugee crisis
Trainers: Jo Winsloe Slater and Bruna Kadletz
I don’t believe there is a shortcut solution to the current refugee problem. Humanity is in crisis —- and there is no exit from that crisis other than the solidarity of humans.
Zygmunt Bauman, NY Times 2016
This training track draws on the experiences of two initiatives arising in response to the recent humanitarian crisis. They have sought to bring fresh perspectives and find new ways to welcome, support and create connection between emerging communities of locals and their neighbours who were displaced from their homelands.
The sessions will be experiential, engaging hearts and minds and invite participation as we dig deep into what community means and ask what might be your own unique contribution to this most pressing of issues. The training is open to both experienced volunteers and those wanting to know what they can do.
Sessions will explore:
- Models of initiatives that connect and create community among and between people
- Values underpinning a heart-centred approach
- Awareness and practices of deep hospitality
- The role of faith and faith communities
- Understanding and tools to co-ordinate volunteering as a dynamic social witness practice
- Leadership skills and qualities in the face of seemingly insurmountable issues
- The shadow side of volunteering and humanitarian work


7. Non-violent communication as a dialogue approach
Trainers: Olena Kashkarova and Angela Starovoitova
Between what I think, what I want to say, what I believe I say, what I say, what you want to hear, what you believe to hear, what you hear, what you want to understand, what you think you understand, what you understand…They are ten possibilities that we might have some problem communicating. But let’s try anyway…
Bernard Werber
We believe that deep understanding brings creativity to find solutions to all types of conflicts: from internal to inter-personal to social conflicts.
At this training track we will focus on exploring Non-Violent Communication as a dialogue approach, addressing two major challenges:
- how to understand another human being
- how to be understood in a way I want to be understood
It will be an interactive process where experiential learning is key, and where participants will explore the method together through practice in groups and real-life examples. By the end of the track, you will be familiar with the simple and applicable NVC model of communication that consists of 4 steps and you will have experienced how this model can contribute to your life.


8. Philosophical Counseling: New approaches to social inclusion
Trainer: Cristina Bignardi
This training offers a set of innovative tools for working with vulnerable groups, especially migrants, asylum-seekers, women and minors, and building bridges between such groups and the local communities.
During the past six years, Cristina Bignardi and her team have worked with migrants in Italy and developed a new methodology by combining several techniques: self-help groups, café philo, research communities and philosophical counseling.
This lead to a technique of listening and sharing the narrative dimension of one’s life and circumstances, using as pretext conventional wisdom and relevant quotes from philosophers and writers.
The innovative aspect in using philosophical counseling with vulnerable people is to try to give them a new way of thinking, a new contextualization about life. This is done through group discussion, starting from a proverb or a philosophical consideration. The participants have the opportunity to engage with and think critically about taken for granted aspects of their own cultural background and compare it with those of the other participants. This activity allows to solicit a more creative and assertive way of thinking, helping the person to overcome the negative experience and regain the capacity to hope and plan for a better future.
Participants at this workshop will:
- learn how to frame migration issues, based on the example of the Italian context;
- learn how to make a relevant analysis on the field, using Medical Anthropology approach;
- understand how this inovative methodology helps asylum seekers to better understand the European Culture;
- develop a new perspective in thinking about one’s life through these philosophical tools.

9. Migrants and refugees as re-builders and social entrepreneurs
Trainers: Rishab Khanna, Catalina Quiroz and Emel Topçu
Migrants and Refugees as Re-Builders (KA2 Cross-borders Intercultural and Societal Entrepreneurs) is a partnership of organisations from the UK, Turkey, Sweden and Spain who are developing innovative training responses to support migrants and refugees from the Horn of Africa, the Middle East, Maghreb and Latin America.
The project is aimed at supporting adult educators of migrants and refugees in settling into their new communities, re-building their lives, and eventually contributing to the development of their home countries. During this training we will share some of the tools from our curriculum, like the Pyramid of Hate and the Pyramid of Hope, The Time Line for interfaith dialogue and democracy, and lastly, some simple methods of carrying out self-assessment to be a more effective adult educator and facilitator working with migrants and refugees.
Requirements for attending: Willing to apply the training modules and competences you will test and experience with members of your organization and/or others, especially people working directly with refugees and migrants.
We are interested in doing a follow up of competences self-assessment to test the selected tools. We will be keen to learn participants’ interest in exploring possibilities of submitting an Erasmus+ project related to mental health and occupational therapy.


A resident of Germany for fifteen years, Emel Topçu has specialised in topics such as Syrian refugees, volunteerism, adult education, human rights, women’s rights, minority – majority relationships, multi-culturalism and integration of migrants into European societies. She has published numerous articles, conducted research, training and consultancy both within and outside the EU. She has carried out this work with several organisations including the Council of Europe, Ministry of National Education, Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education Project, which aims to foster a more democratic society in Turkey by strengthening democratic citizenship and human rights education.
Currently she is researching into the impact of the influx of Syrian refugees on Turkey and the effect this has on communities and social cohesion.
Emel Topçu is also the General Manager of Migration, Education, Population and the Employment Research Centre and a Vice President of Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences.