LEAD Zambia

LEAD Training I Lusaka I Zambia I 5-9 Oct 2015

Within the ongoing project Preventing Electoral Violence in the SADC Region (PEV-SADC), the European Centre for Electoral Support conducted a Leadership and Conflict Management for Electoral Stakeholders (LEAD) training in Lusaka, Zambia.

The training took place between 05 - 09 October 2015 to create the necessary tools and capacity among civil society organisations to actively participate as domestic observers in the upcoming 2016 elections.

Management representatives from the main organisations, including civil society, the police and the ECZ, were present at the opening day of the workshop.

The first day was dedicated to strategic planning and needs assessment in order to focus the training on the real needs of local partners. One day was specifically dedicated to conflict management theories and techniques; one day covered civic and voter education practices whereas the last two days addressed election monitoring including, but not limited to, electoral/legal framework for elections, cascade training for domestic observers, election day procedures and observation forms, reporting and communication, structure of monitoring group, among others.

Three facilitators conducted the workshop: Victoria Florinder, ECES Election Conflict Management Advisor; Claudio Giulietti, Electoral Training and Operations Advisor; and Richard Cox, Senior Electoral Advisor. Two members of the ECZ as well as one representative from the Police presented sessions of the workshop.

Youth and women's organisations were trained as part of the civil society alliance in Zambia. Apart from enhancing local capacity to conduct election monitoring and civic/voter education, the workshop served to increase public awareness on election-related violence.