Consultancy Services for a Program in Alternative to Violence

The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths who are committed to shift the mindsets that prioritize militarized approaches over peaceful and people-centered solutions, promotes sustainable economic systems that benefit everyone, rather than those that favor the wealthy and exacerbate inequality and environmental crises and challenges forced displacement and champions the dignity and rights of all people on the move. With a vision of A just, peaceful, and sustainable world free of violence, inequality, and oppression and a mission Guided by the Quaker belief in the divine light of each person, AFSC works with communities and partners worldwide to challenge unjust systems and promote lasting peace. As such AFSC respects the equality, worth, and dignity of all people and regard no one as her enemy, seek right relationship with all life on a sustainable Earth, accepts that AFSC’s understanding of truth is incomplete and seek ever deeper insights from lived experiences, AFSC trusts the Spirit to guide discernment of her collective actions. AFSC asserts the transforming power of love and active nonviolence as a force for justice and reconciliation.

Somali Program

AFSC believe that young people can positively transform the prevailing context of violent conflicts in Somalia into a more secure, productive, and just place. Consequently, AFSC is implementing a Peace-building program in Somalia targeting the youth, with the approaches of empowering them with peacebuilding, leadership, advocacy, and livelihood skills. The livelihood skills are meant to empower them to earn sustainable incomes and avoid the vulnerability of recruitment by violent militia groups. The peacebuilding and leadership skills are to empower them to take leading roles in peace-building activities in their localities.

Thus, AFSC is planning to conduct an Alternative to Violence Program (AVP) which is one of the approaches to peacebuilding among the youth. AFSC intendeds to conduct a 5-day AVP workshop which is an intensive, learning experience that teaches interpersonal conflict resolution skills through a series of step-by-step processes. These experiences in small groups and one-to-one interactions build a sense of community and trust through exercises focusing on:

Affirmation — Building self-esteem and trust.

Communication — Improving both listening skills and assertive methods of expression.

Cooperation — Developing cooperative attitudes that avoid competitive conflicts.

Creative Conflict Resolution — Getting in touch with the inner Transforming Power to resolve violence. Role plays provide an opportunity to explore this power and learn new and creative ways to respond to real life conflicts in the youth’s lives.

The objective of the workshop is as follows:

• To conduct a three (3) day Basic Alternative to Violence Program (AVP) training and two (2) Day introduction to Advanced AVP for the youth and partners staff in Mogadishu and Dhobley with the aim of empowering the youth to become AVP ToT’s at community level

The trainer is expected to come up with the following:

• Respond to the ToR with a technical and financial proposal describing how he / she will undertake the AVP training.

Applicant Requirements

The consultant or team should have.

• A bachelor’s degree in Peacebuilding, Conflict Management, or any other relevant Social Science.
• Minimum two years of hands-on experiences in conducting AVP Trainings.
• Excellent understanding of Peacebuilding work in Somalia context.
• Proven track record on participatory peacebuilding approaches
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with people from different backgrounds to deliver quality assignments within a short time frame
• Experiences and/or know-how of project implementation and peacebuilding at the community level
• Be flexible, responsive to changes and demands and open to feedback
• Consultants based in Somalia are encouraged to apply, and knowledge of Somali language will be an added advantage.