Celebrate with Jan van Koert Success in Sierra Leone

I CELEBRATE my last visit to Sierra Leone, where I went for the fourth time since 2010. I came home yesterday after a night flight from Freetown and now I awake enough to share my deep gratitude and joy.

On invitation of the Justice and Peace Commission (JPC) of the Arch Diocese Freetown and Bo, who is, in fact. my Swiss friend Philipp Langlotz, I started to initially in 2010 to work with a mixed group of civilians, non commissioned officers and some officers. It was a two year pilot in which Mark Walsh and Ray Taylor participated as well.

I went two times back in 2011 to introduce and train the NVC mediation skills as developed by John Kinyon and Ike Lasater. Based on the recommendations from the officers to their staff , the officers developed a presentation for the top brass.

Last fortnight I trained that same group again and I was invited to join the presentation they produced, including a movie on how conflict handling was done in the past and how it is done with the use of NVC Mediation.

Next we went to the Ministry of Defense and met the 5 top generals including the Acting Chief of Defense Staff, Brigade General Williams. At the spot they decided that NVC mediation has to be taken into the curriculum of the Military Academy. This means that from soon, every member of the Armed Forces receives (basic) training in NVC and NVC Mediation!

The last two days I spent with the JPC and the Commander Armed Forces Education Center to work out a basic structure from which to work on and implement what 'has to be ' implemented now. Which is a quite a job.

I feel uneasy when i think of what other trainers might start or continue in Sierra Leone and to keep the people, involved in aforementioned project, at ease, I ask all who this concerns, to connect with me first before entering trainings in Sierra Leone where people (Civilians and Military) are involved. Are you willing to do so?

Jan van Koert, Netherlands

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