LEAD Mozambique

Key players participates in LEAD workshop, Mozambique

The Mozambique partner of SADC Election Support Network, Osservatorio Eleitoral together with the PEV-SADC partners delivered a Leadership and Conflict Management training in Maputo last week, 15 - 19 September 2014. This training turned out to be the first occasion where several key players came together ahead of the general elections in Mozambique, planned end of November. ECES longstanding partner, Centre for Creative Leadership (CCL) sent one of their senior leadership trainers, Alaide Dantas who teamed up with Alberto Nanja from Mozambique to carry this important training.

The PEV-SADC project's staff supported the training. Electoral stakeholders from various fields, namely political parties, media, civil society organizations and observer groups worked together during one week and tackled various topics pertinent to the Mozambican context when it comes to conflict management and leadership. Last year in October, a similar training was delivered by the project partners and some key issues discussed at this time were addressed anew. The training focused on conflict management strategies, examined the role of different players and identified the need for future intervention to ensure a peaceful electoral process in Mozambique that still bare the brunt of the long-lasting conflict. Even though Mozambique has done significant progress the last years, episodes of instability and political tension continues to rock the country from time to time.

It is worth mentioning that dedicated civil society organisations such as the project partner Osservatorio Eleitoral, is working to strengthen the capacity of domestic observer groups, yet faces challenges to fund workshops and capacity building training sessions necessary to maintain the quality and focus on key electoral issues in the Mozambican civil society. This years LEAD training was therefore very welcomed and served a dual purpose due to the training sessions relevant curriculum and since it brought together players that may not have worked together ahead of the elections otherwise. The PEV-SADC project is extending into the year of 2015 and will thus accompany Mozambique into its post-electoral period.