The training was officially opened by Dr. Nansozi K. Muwanga, Executive Director of the Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre, who welcomed participants and expressed appreciation to RP SIPODI East Africa for the collaboration. In her remarks, she underscored the relevance of the training within the philosophy of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, emphasizing values-based, inclusive, and service-oriented leadership as essential to advancing peace and security. Welcome remarks on behalf of RP SIPODI East Africa were delivered by Mr. Andrew Ssemujju, who highlighted KAS’s commitment to promoting youth leadership, democratic governance, and dialogue as key pillars for sustainable peace.
Day one commenced with a session on Mwalimu Julius Nyerere’s ideals and their relevance to peace and security, facilitated by Mr. Ivan Ssegawa Sebastian. This session provided a normative and ethical foundation for subsequent discussions. Sessions on transformative leadership and team-building for peace initiatives were facilitated by Mr. Nyaribi David from Action-Aid Uganda and Mr. Ssazi Ronald from Strong Minds Uganda, equipping participants with practical leadership skills relevant to mediation, negotiation, and resilience.
Effective communication for conflict resolution was addressed in a session facilitated by Mr. Henry Kasacca, Executive Director, Dialogue and Democracy Training Centre and Ms. Allen Baguma, Leadership Consultant, Private Education Development Network, focusing on dialogue, active listening, and consensus-building. A session on emotional intelligence and conflict resolution, led by Dr. Gardner H. Rwakiseta, Programme Coordinator at JNLC, emphasized self-awareness, mental wellness, and social intelligence as critical competencies for peacebuilders.
The afternoon sessions explored the linkages between financial management and peacebuilding, facilitated by Ms. Gloria Namata, Financial Literacy Consultant, followed by a situational analysis of peace and security in East Africa. This latter session was delivered by Prof. Phillip Kasaija, Senior Lecturer, Department of Political Science at Makerere University and Mr. Emolot Allan David from the Interdependent Continental Youth Advisory Council, providing participants with insights into contemporary regional security challenges.
Day two began with a recap of key discussions from the previous day, followed by a session on conflict prevention and the design, implementation, and evaluation of local peacebuilding initiatives. The session highlighted regional and international frameworks, including IGAD, the East African Community (EAC), and the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda. Participants also engaged in a practical workshop on the use of social media for peace advocacy, facilitated by Mr. Ivan Ssegawa Sebastian and colleagues. The session explored digital tools, ethical considerations, and legal implications of online peace campaigns. Interactive role-playing exercises enabled participants to simulate conflict scenarios, analyse root causes, and propose non-violent solutions. This was followed by a group-based action planning session, during which participants developed local peace project proposals, strengthening their skills in proposal development, resource mobilization, and collaborative approaches to peacebuilding. The training concluded with fireside cross-generational conversations and panel discussions examining the role of youth and gender in peace and security, as well as pathways for sustainable peace in Uganda and the Great Lakes Region. The discussions highlighted the disproportionate impact of conflict on young people, particularly young women, while reaffirming youth as key agents of mediation, innovation, and social cohesion.
Closing remarks were delivered by Dr. Nansozi K. Muwanga and Ms. Juliet Uwera, Project Officer at RP SIPODI East Africa, who commended participants for their active engagement and commitment throughout the training. They emphasized the importance of sustained engagement and follow-up to support youth-led peace initiatives. This was followed by the awarding of certificates to participants in recognition of their successful completion of the training and their commitment to promoting peace and security within their universities and communities. Through this initiative, RP SIPODI East Africa and JNLC reaffirmed their shared commitment to nurturing a new generation of student leaders equipped with the values, skills, and competencies necessary to contribute meaningfully to sustainable peace and security in Uganda, the region, and Africa at large.
About this series
The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, its educational institutions, centres and foreign offices, offer several thousand events on various subjects each year. We provide up to date and exclusive reports on selected conferences, events and symposia at www.kas.de. In addition to a summary of the contents, you can also find additional material such as pictures, speeches, videos or audio clips.