Strengthening Peace-Education and Resilience of Vulnerable Youth

• Time: 21 June 2022 / 18:30 – 19:15
• Place: European Development Days – Room 5 (Brussels Expo)
• Registration link: https://eudevdays.eu/community/profile

Session Information

This session focuses on innovation in digital online/offline education to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable youth in the digital era. The discussion focuses on the relevance of cultural literacy in preparing such programmes, to make online/offline education relevant to each place.

The objective of the session is to discuss how culturally aware online/offline education can challenge social norms and stereotypes, strengthen critical thinking skills and contribute to peace-building, inter-religious dialogue and mutual understanding.

Several initiatives are presented for discussion:

• East Africa based Digital Innovation and Skills Hub (DISH),
• ICC TFV approach to Peace Education,
• The ACP-EU Culture programme on cultural and creative approaches to the socio-economic development of ACP countries.

Skill-building focuses on a combination of Computer Science, Health, Mental Health, Law and Customary Law, Peace-Building and Communication, Education and Business Administration. The curricula are developed with cultural awareness.

The session explores ways of bridging the digital divide by providing equal access to digital technology, skills and employment for students in the Horn and other ACP regions with a culturally sensitive design.

Click here to join online

Meeting ID: 834 7492 9799
Passcode: 12345

Moderator: Jago Kosolosky, MO*

Facilitators:

• Mouhamad Mpezamihigo (VC, Kampala International University, Uganda)
• Kokob Gebru (online/video)
• Abramane Kamate
• Akati Khasiani
• Helen Tesfay

Interactive Experts

Speakers have been selected for their ability to create an interactive session. Interactive speakers include:

• Mark Vlek de Coningh, Nuffic
• Reginald Nalugala, Inter-religious Dialogue, Tangaza University, DISH
• Franziska Eckelmans, ICC TFV
• Naomi Stocker, Ghent University
• Diederik van Iwaarden, University of Utrecht
• Selam Kidane, University of West London, DISH

Organizers

This session is organised by Kampala International University (KIU), Tilburg University, The ICC Trust Fund for Victims (TFV), The Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States with the EU-funded ACP-EU Culture programme, NUFFIC, Mekelle University, East Africa University. Eastern College, Sudan Organisation for Research and Development, Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation, Addis Ababa University, Action Africa Help International, Tangaza University College, Utrecht University, and MO*.

Organisational Descriptions

• Digital Innovation and Skills Hub – DISH: DISH is an e-learning platform developed to provide access to youth and women to develop employment skills.
• ICC Trust Fund for Victims: The Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) advocates for and assists the most vulnerable victims of the crimes within the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) jurisdiction by mobilising people, and funding opportunities for the benefit of victims, and implementing court-ordered reparations awards.
• ACP-EU Culture: Implemented by the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (OACPS) and financed by the European Union (EU), the ACP-EU Culture programme illustrates the ambition to boost the competitiveness of cultural and creative industries in ACP countries.
• NUFFIC: NUFFIC’s ambition is for all pupils and students to have the opportunity to acquire international competencies, whether at home or abroad. This is to prepare them for the society and labour market of the future and ensure that they are ready to tackle the global challenges of our time.
• MO* Magazine: MO* is a quarterly supplement of a Flemish news magazine (Knack) based in Brussels. The magazine publishes articles on globalisation and development, but it focuses on those topics that are not covered by mainstream media outlets.
• Utrecht University Whole Education: UU’s teaching and research are strongly connected, working together in tight communities. UU believes equality, diversity and inclusion are important, providing them with a solid base from which to work with others around the globe on the societal issues of the future.

Biographies

Moderator

Jago Kosolosky (°1991) has been at the head of MO* and MO.be since 1 August 2020. Jago Kosolosky started his journalistic career in 2014 at MO* as a web editor, later became part of the multimedia cell of De Tijd/L’Echo, became online editor-in-chief Knack.be/LeVif.be and worked as an audience development editor at Politico Europe. In addition, he has extensive journalistic experience at home and abroad (South Africa, Rwanda, Congo, Madagascar…). Jago studied International Politics at Ghent University, lived for a while in Washington DC and Edinburgh (Scotland) and studied International Research Journalism and Web Development.

Facilitators

Mouhamad Mpezamihigo

He is the current Vice-Chancellor of Kampala International University, the largest, premier private Comprehensive University in Uganda, with campuses in Uganda and Tanzania and is leading the robust transformational change at the University. He is an award winner of the Global Education Excellency Awards; Islamic Development Bank Award winner of Leadership Excellency; Uganda National Council for Higher Education Recognition Award in appreciation of dedicated service and exemplary contribution to the NCHE; Appreciation Award winner by Ecosystem Network Systems in recognition for having developed knowledge plus good character in generations, which has made a goal of a true Education, 2017/2018, plus many awards from the Association of Commonwealth Universities, UK.

Kobob Gebru

Kokob Gebru is a lecturer and clinician in mental health working at Mekelle university, college of health sciences. She has five years of experience in clinical work, research and teaching. Her areas of interest are mental health interventions for children and women and resilience. Currently, she is a PhD candidate in mental health with a focus on trauma and resilience in times of crisis. And she is a member of MARCH (Maternal, Adolescent, Reproductive and child health) research center and Digital Health Research and Development center (DHC). She has been working on rehabilitation projects for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and She is also co leading a project called DISH (Digital innovations skills hub) at Mekelle University. This project works to empower youth and women through education and contribute to peace and stability.

Abdramane Kamaté

Abdramane Kamaté has a triple background in communication, management and political science. He has extensive experience in managing institutions, teams, projects and cultural development in Africa, Europe and South-East Asia. After having directed the French Institutes in several countries (Senegal, Ivory Coast, Chad, Indonesia), he is currently in charge of the AWA project at the French Institute in Paris – ACP-EU Culture Programme: support to the cultural and creative sectors in West Africa.

Akati Khasiani

Dr. Akati Khasiani is the Programme Manager for the ACP-EU Culture Programme Eastern Africa, and the Partnerships Manager at HEVA Fund, East Africa’s first creative economy catalyst. She brings her extensive experience in project management, research and administration to policy development and ecosystem building work with stakeholders: public and private sector, international partners, practitioners and investees. She is instrumental in designing support programming for creative businesses, and is part of the strategy team for OTA, HEVA’s programmatic focus on women-led businesses, as well as being part of the Research Team, developing and publishing studies on the creative
economy in Eastern Africa.

Helen Tesfay

Dr. Helen Abreha, M.D., received her medical degree from Mekelle University in 2019. Currently, she contributes to the drafting of important news in the Horn of Africa. Helen has served as a physician at Suhul Shire General Hospital and Axum Specialty Hospital. She also worked as a qualitative data manager on a research project that assessed clients’ perspectives on the quality of abortion services in Ethiopia on a project conducted by Ibis Reproductive Health and St. Paul, MD College.

Her experience in hospital and community services in Tigray has helped her understand the challenges faced by disadvantaged and minority communities, as well as clinical research in Africa. It inspired her to be passionate about exploring an alternative. problem-solving with an open mind and an outcome-based approach. Compassionate about solving health inequalities, she explains, “I love supporting and empowering women, children, and the disabled through all walks of life, and I see myself working hard to establish inclusive health services.”

Interactive experts

Mark Vlek de Coningh

Originally a Political Science graduate, Mark Vlek de Coningh specialised in Conflict, Power and Politics at Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Today, Mark Vlek de Coningh is Partnerships & Programme Developer at NUFFIC. He is involved in developing new programmes and projects, improving current activities and liaising with national and international partners to achieve this. Within the team, he focuses on programme development for the EU and in this role has worked with a plethora of international partners, including the European Commission, the British Council, Campus France and DAAD.

Reginald Nalugala

Dr Reginald Maudlin Nalugala is a postgraduate tutor at Tangaza University College, Karen, Nairobi. He teaches PhD and Masters in Social transformation. The key courses are Governance Principles, Politics and Democracy in Africa, Anti-radicalization Measures and Leadership in Africa. His skills and expertise are expressed in critiquing the development discourse in Africa, coordinating research on Virus Outbreak Data Network Research (VODAN) Africa. His expertise was further recognized during the 2019 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 2019, New York). As a delegate to the 25th UNGA Conference, Dr. Nalugala was requested to edit reports from the conference on SDG 16, (now on the UN Website http://unga-reception.org/2019). January-July 2019, was part of the IDLO Outcome Harvesting research team.

Franziska Eckelmans

Franziska Eckelmans has a degree in Law, International Public Law and Eastern European Law. She was for 2 years Legal Advisor (via CIM/GIZ) for the Cambodian Judges of the ECCC Trial Chamber (2009 – 2011), then Legal Officer for the European External Action Service. After having been Legal Advisor for the International Criminal Court, Eckelmans is now Legal Advisor, Deputy to the Executive Director of the Trust Fund for Victims.

Naomi Stocker

Studied the bachelor of Educational Sciences (Agogische Wetenschappen) at the Free University of Belgium. Currently studying for a master’s degree in Educational Sciences and Disability Studies at the University of Ghent. Also currently writing a master’s thesis about primary teachers’ attitudes toward inclusive education in Uganda.

Diederik van Iwaarden

Diederik van Iwaarden works as Liaison officer for the Strategic theme ‘Dynamics of Youth’ at Utrecht University. He is responsible for engaging with national and international institutions and building a relevant network of (potential) partners in close cooperation with the researchers of ‘Dynamics of Youth’. Diederik has a background in external relations and fundraising. He has previously worked for Tilburg University and the international development organisations ICCO (Interchurch organisation for development cooperation) and SOS-Children’s Villages.

Selam Kidane

Selam Kidane is a British-based Eritrean human rights defender and co-founder of Freedom Friday, a group that helped coordinate underground activists in Eritrea, using technology to get information into Eritrea. She has a PhD in Philosophy and Humanities Studies from Tilburg University. She is now a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of West London and has practised for some years as a Systemic Psychotherapist.