Peace Channel holds training of trainers on peer mediation

Peace Channel members with trainers after the training held on peer mediation.

Dimapur, November 8 (MExN): While training the peer mediation training of trainers, the Director of Peace Channel, Dr Fr CP Anto said that peer mediation is one of the ways to resolve and transform conflicts in the educational institutions and communities respectively.

The main objective of the training was to enhance skill and techniques in peer mediation, develop confidence and leadership qualities of the peer mediator trainers, stated a press release by Katini, Peace Channel Desk.

The training of trainers was headed by the Director, Peace Channel. During his session, he stated that Peer Educator is a trained volunteer who educate his/her friend individually or in a group to develop a greater understanding of certain issues to bring positive behavioral change.

It is important to have peer education as it instills a sense of pride and loyalty in the mind of young people, empowers the peer by sharing of knowledge and skill development, he added.

Stressing on the topic, Dr Fr Anto stated that the core concept of peer education in providing correct information, capacity building of individual to understand issues building team spirit, providing equal opportunities for participation and by creating more peer educators. 

Emphasizing more on the concept of peer mediation, he added that, peer mediation is a communication process in which the individual with a problem, work together assisted by a neutral third party to solve the problem. Peer mediation is both a program and a process.

The four basic principles of peer mediation are neutrality, self-determination, confidentiality and voluntary consent. In his concluding remark, the Director highlighted on some of the advantages of peer mediation i.e. resolves individual conflict, teaches an individual with essential life skills, motivates an individual to resolve conflict collaboratively and increase self-esteem of an individual.

The training programme was followed by role play, practicum session which was enacted by the peace animators on individual conflict, while institutional conflict was facilitated by the trainer.

The trainees decided to cover 20 educational institutions – colleges and universities in Nagaland by training peer mediators to resolve conflicts by peers in the colleges, education institutions and communities.