Two-Day Mediation Training Ends with Strengthened Skills Across CPS Network

Bread for the World (BROT) and the Civil Peace Service (CPS) Liberia Network have successfully concluded a two-day basic mediation training for over 20 staff from partner organizations. The sessions, held from December 3–4, 2025, brought together representatives from across the Network to strengthen their skills in community-level conflict mediation.

According to Juliane Westphal of the BROT Support Team, the training was designed to equip participants with the knowledge and tools required to mediate conflicts effectively within their respective communities. She noted that over the past five years, BROT has consistently delivered training in conflict analysis, mediation, and open-space methodologies to partner organizations within the Network.

A core component of this year’s training was the capacity-building of two members of the Community of Practice (CoP), Morris Kamara from the Liberia YMCA, and Richkel Dougbe of the Liberia Opportunities Industrialization Center (LOIC). Their participation forms part of BROT’s long-term strategy to prepare local practitioners to serve as future facilitators of mediation training within the Network.

CPS Coordinator Madam Decontee E. George expressed satisfaction that LOIC hosted this round of capacity-building. She emphasized that, after several years of training senior staff and organizational leaders, extending this opportunity to broader staff teams is essential for knowledge replication and strengthening institutional capacity across the Network.

Madam George further highlighted that members of the Community of Practice played an active support role throughout the sessions. She encouraged participants to apply the knowledge gained and remain engaged, noting that the training provides a foundation for future facilitation and leadership opportunities within the CPS Network.

Participants expressed a strong interest in advancing their mediation skills and deepening their understanding of conflict resolution at the community level. Many noted that the training enhanced their ability to address local disputes constructively and apply practical tools to promote peace within their constituencies.

Since 2020, BROT has delivered a series of mediation, open-space, and Do No Harm trainings for CPS partner organizations across Liberia, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sierra Leone. These initiatives, facilitated by Juliane Westphal and Dr. Rolf Grafe of the BROT Support Team, continue to strengthen the conflict transformation capacities of organizations working in diverse and often challenging contexts.