CPS PARTNERS INTEGRATE OPEN SPACE TECHNOLOGY INTO FIELD OPERATIONS IN SIERRA LEONE

By Abdul Kaprr Dumbuya

Following the introduction of the Open Space Technology (OST) to the Civil Peace Service (CPS) partners in Sierra Leone by Juliane Westphal, one of the Bread for the World’s (BftW) Support Team from 5^th – 7^th March, 2024 in Bo city, south of Sierra Leone, participants registered strong commitment to cascade the training to their respective team members in their organisations. Men’s Association for Gender Equality – Sierra Leone (MAGE-SL) and the Council of Churches in Sierra Leone (CCSL) were the first known CPS partners to have commenced practicing the approach in their field operations almost immediately after the training.  

An Open Space is a simple but effective people-driven process which identifies critical issues, voice passions and concerns, learning from each other, and taking collective responsibility for finding solutions. Everybody who is needed to answer the question or solve the problem at hand will be invited to the OS.  

Abdul Martin, Programme Manager for MAGE-SL, who led the engagements in Kono, Kailahun and Moyamba districts in the east and south of Sierra Leone respectively said, using the OS approach, they were able to resolve lots of community issues that had been unresolved for the longest of time. He added that, much of the work was done by the participants themselves, while they (MAGE-SL) only facilitated and guided the process.

Abdul furthered that, women were visibly seen participating and boldly speaking out on sensitive issues that require attention for community development, citing challenges and recommending coping mechanisms as a way for building community social cohesion, peace sustainability, mutual care, and protection for all including women, girls and the aged who have been victims of structural violence and/or neglect over the years.

“As beneficiaries, we feel more confident to articulate our community issues and find local solutions to them. This is especially so when there is total inclusion of us, women, in the engagement. This is a real Open Space as we all spoke our minds freely”, Theresa Pessima expressed after an engagement at Old Meima community, Tankoro chiefdom in Kono district.

In Kaninahun community in Peje Bongre chiefdom, Kailahun district, Alhajie Jamiru Tarawalie, Section Chief Imam, disclosed to the facilitator about how the OS engagement has helped in changing his mentality towards his family relations. He said, “…my family and I have a long-standing feud over our farm land. But this engagement has reshaped my mentality; I’ll go back home and make peace with them. …There is no need to continue being enemies with my family over nothing.”  

Similarly, CCSL also incorporated this approach into their trainings for District Coordinators and Mentors under the Psychosocial Counseling and Care project for Sexual and Gender Based Violence, Female Genital Mutilation and drug abuse victims and survivors in Makeni city, Bombali district, northern Sierra Leone. The trainings were led by the organisation’s Project Officer, Elizabeth Yambasu, and aimed to ensure that the concept of and need for psychosocial counseling was understood on a personal and professional level.

Elizabeth underscored the relevance of the approach in their training engagements and furthered that participants were highly enthused to bring out key issues and to be part of the overall solution finding process. For the participants, she added, the OS technology gave them an opportunity to learn from each other, realizing that everyone in the room had great ideas and suggestions.

“In as much as the overall concept has been great, however, we had a few challenges incorporating the Open Space approach into trainings, as the topic/area of focus was different. So, it took us time for participants to grasp the concept. Nevertheless, we are developing new methods to ensure that the concept is fully understood and incorporated into other trainings based on the need”, the CCSL Project Officer disclosed after the training.

Based on the immense significance of this approach, as already mentioned by community members in areas where the OS has been applied, the CPS network also looks forward to its application in field operations by other member organisations, and its impact on communities.