Anne Henderson of the USIP Professional Training Program offered a one-day conflict management seminar for participants in a program for visiting Iraqi women. The program was sponsored by the Women's Alliance for a Free and Democratic Iraq and the Iraqi Women's Caucus.
Anne Henderson of the USIP Professional Training Program offered a one-day conflict management seminar for participants in a program for visiting Iraqi women. The program was sponsored by the Women's Alliance for a Free and Democratic Iraq and the Iraqi Women's Caucus. Its primary goal was to prepare participants to play effective leadership roles in Iraqi political parties, national and local governments, and civic organizations.
The USIP seminar focused on negotiation as a conflict management tool. Through facilitated discussions and exercises, it gave participants the opportunity to share negotiation experiences and practice key negotiation skills. The sixteen participants were representative of Iraq's diversity; they were drawn from all of Iraq's regions as well as its major ethnic and religious groups. The participants were professionally diverse as well, including officials in national government, ministries, academics, entrepreneurs, NGO executives, and city council members. During group discussions, participants drew upon their personal experiences to contribute to an analysis of the challenges facing women as they attempt to assume leadership responsibilities in post-Saddam Iraq.
Due in large part to the energy and dedication of the participants, the seminar was a great success. Throughout the seminar, participants emphasized that the skills and concepts they were learning were crucial for their effectiveness as leaders. As one participant noted, "The benefits we gained will be used after our return to Iraq to apply in our work." Participants also stressed that the need for such training was urgent and widespread among women in Iraq. They expressed the hope that USIP would offer further training opportunities for Iraqi women.
