About
UNITAR
Following years of instability and a decade-long transitional period, Libya today is at a perilous crossroads threatening prospects for stability and reconciliation lingering on the horizon. The highly precarious situation is risking political and security deadlocks that have for years affected all major aspects of life for different generations in the country.
“Towards locally led stabilization and reconciliation in Libya”, is a UNITAR-led project in collaboration with the Government of Japan that builds on the outputs of the UNDP Initiative Stabilization Facility for Libya and aligns with the 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals. The project aims to support international efforts for stabilization and reconciliation in Libya in the current transitional period by empowering the Libyan civil society. Essentially, the project is made possible by the generous funding and cooperative initiative of the Government of Japan and its commitment to support the Libyan people's choices and aspirations to overcome this transitional stage and move toward a peaceful and stable future.
Working with the Libyan Civil Society
UNITAR
Designed by The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), in close collaboration with five local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), namely Tanmia 360, Perpetual Peace, Moomken Organization, Solidarity for Women Support & Empowerment –Tadamon, and National Caucus of Fazzan, the project offers learner-centred responses to the fundamental changes in a conflict-affected context. The implementation of these responses on the ground and throughout Libya’s diverse communities will be led by these five CSOs partners.
Since 2020, UNITAR has put at the service of Libyan civil society organizations (CSOs) its extensive expertise in strengthening the capacities of CSOs in different conflict-affected contexts including through UNITAR’s support to the UNDP in the implementation of Output 3 of the Initiative Stabilization Facility for Libya. In this framework, UNITAR has been leading the development of a comprehensive capacity building and development program tailored to the specific needs of actors on the ground. Through its constant work with Libyan CSOs in different parts of the country, UNITAR has gained specific experience and knowledge of the context that is crucial for concretizing the efforts toward peace and reconciliation at local and national levels.
To that end, the project put emphasis on building organizational and technical capacities through tailored training workshops as well as mentoring and coaching activities that would enable participants to take ownership of their leading role in the enhancement of conflict resolution, resilience, and reconciliation. UNITAR will work closely with its partners over the course of the upcoming year to utilize change and yield results that will serve the establishment of a peaceful and inclusive Libya.
Libyan Youth: The Missing Piece
UNITAR
The project is strategized for sustainable and holistic change, thus another component of it is to offer support not only at the institutional level but also on the individual level with a specific focus on youth. The project envisions the leadership and engagement role of young people in positively impacting the Libyan social fabric and disrupting the cycle of violence. Through the designed capacity-building activities, project youth will be able to:
- recognize their own potential to become peacebuilding actors and
- use their energy for initiating and supporting peacebuilding and reconciliation measures in their direct environments.
THE KICK-OFF EVENT
The Kick-off event organised from 21-22 July 2022 brought together UNITAR team, representatives from the Government of Japan and the selected CSOs with the aim to start developing local ownership of the initiative.
The event was a key step to initiate the design and implementation of a tailored capacity building programme that will allow the five implementing Libyan CSOs to take a leading role in the enhancement of youth-led conflict resolution, resilience, and reconciliation. The programme will be rolled out in two steps (a training of trainers followed by a multiplication at community level) and is designed with the aim to positively impact the Libyan social fabric and the sense of belonging of communities within their territory.
Through the multiplication at community level by the five implementing CSOs with the support and coaching by UNITAR, the project is expected to reach more than 100 Libyan youth before the end of February 2023.
THE TRAINING OF TRAINERS
From 7-11 October UNITAR delivered the Training of Trainers (ToT) based on the tailored capacity building programme that has been designed in response to the needs expressed by the five implementing Libyan CSOs in relation to the communities in which they operate and the local youth who will participate in the multiplication trainings.
Two trainers from each of the five implementing CSOs were trained by UNITAR so that they could be prepared to then deliver the multiplication trainings at community level involving local youth.
The training programme combines experiential learning, expression through the arts, and individual reflection. UNITAR developed the training applying different pedagogical methodologies including interactive activities and simulations that serve as metaphors for various real-life situations, where participants can immerse themselves in an experience and, after that, be able to draw lessons and integrate what they have learned into the way they act.
Multiplication Trainings
Following UNITAR's delivery of a five-day intensive Training of Trainers' workshop in October 2022 for 10 professionals from five Civil Society Organization (CSO) partners in Libya, the latter returned to Libya and started delivering multiplication trainings to transfer the capacities acquired and enhance youth skills on Conflict Resolution, Resilience, and Reconciliation to lead the change in local communities.
Our partner CSOs have successfully completed the implementation of the multiplication trainings across Libya in three municipalities mainly Benghazi, Tripoli and Sabha from December 31st 2022 to February 12th 2023.
In total the CSOs had reached 106 participants aged between 18-39, 41% of attendants were female while 59% were men with the support of the government of Japan and in collaboration with the 5 CSOs. Participants were awarded a "Certificate of Participation" on: “Youth-Led Enhancement of Conflict Resolution, Resilience, & Reconciliation capacities of the local Communities in Libya.
Community Events
Our partners have successfully reached out to total of 207 of people aged between 18 and 39 years old across Libya; The East, The West and the South between February 6th and February 26th, 2023. 36% of the total number of the invited young people were females and 64% were males.
The community events are a continuity of UNITAR methodology used in the multiplication trainings in which the participants of the trainings invite additional young participants from the community, and share their knowledge about conflict resolution, reconciliation and peace building through interesting group activities like the “Tree of Reconciliation” activity in which participants were asked to draw a tree with the following question: If reconciliation was a fruit, what would its tree need to produce that fruit? This activity invited participants to reflect on the necessary components to achieving reconciliation through. The activity had a positive impact on the participants according to the online survey, with an average satisfaction rate of 90% for the 5 CSOs.
Our communication campaign to reach the community
UNITAR in coordination with its local CSO partners has launched a successful sensitization campaign “The good is still in Libya’s youth", aimed at promoting the project’s achievements and the core values of reconciliation and peacebuilding. As such, CSO partners took part in radio shows, TV programs and promoted alongside UNITAR, promotional videos and posts on social media
Radio and TV Shows:
A series of radio and TV interviews were broadcasted in different regions in Libya to inform the community about the work done to foster reconciliation and conflict resolution in Libya within the framework of the project, and to raise awareness on the impact of youth action as agents of positive change in Libya through reconciliation and conflict resolution processes.
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