UNITAR Hiroshima Fellowship for Afghanistan

Workshop Series for Session 2003-2004

Workshop I: Orientation and Planning

With support from United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the World Bank (WB)

Date and venue: 20-24 November 2003, Hiroshima, Japan

Related timeline:

International conference and initial workshop in Hiroshima, from 17 to 24 November 2003;

Additional training seminars (up to two) to be organized in Afghanistan;

Introduction

The UNITAR Hiroshima Fellowship for Afghanistan was launched in July 2003. The programme aims at building training skills and providing technical and institutional support to a core group of Afghan government officials, educators, practitioners and professional trainers. It familiarize participants with the most effective training policies, practices and methodologies as well as leadership and management skills as they pertain to the political, economic, social and psychological priorities of a country emerging from conflict.

Objectives

Specifically designed to adapt to the needs and requirements of a post -conflict situation in general and of Afghanistan in particular, the programme is conceived both as an operational endeavour and a research laboratory for channeling to Afghanistan not just the state-of-the-art in training, but also the reconstruction lessons from past decades and other countries and regions. Though the spirit and main trust of the programme is primarily at providing individual training and support, its ultimate objective will be institutional capacity building.

Modalities and Topics

The programme focuses on providing individualized training and resources to selected participants who could become future training leaders and innovators in Afghanistan. Each year, some 25 participants will be selected by UNITAR as Fellows to partake in the training cycle. The Fellows are expected to continue at their jobs in Afghanistan throughout the duration of the programme.

The core training will take place during four (4) sessions of one-week duration each, spread over a period of one year. The full cycle will consist of:
1) one week-long session in Hiroshima at the start of the cycle,
2) up to two workshop sessions in Afghanistan, and
3) one week-long session in Hiroshima at the end of the cycle.

In-between sessions, the training programme will continue to work with the Fellows through distance-learning mechanisms, networking and mentoring arrangements organized and managed by UNITAR.

The Fellows are provided with topical/periodical training in their relevant disciplines , and in cross-cutting themes in the areas of adult training, knowledge management as well as individual and organizational change. Training in practical skills, such as project management, team-building, use of information and communication technologies and international fund-raising will also be provided. Fundamental issues of human rights, good governance and gender equality will inform the curriculum design. It is also planned that the programme seeks to provide participants with the technical resources (computer/internet access) throughout their attachment, as well as connections with the larger international academic and development community involved in the reconstruction of Afghanistan.