Action Asia offers a short course on Partnerships in Security Sector Reform
08 to 12 July 2012
International Center for Peace, BalayMindanaw,
Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanaw, Philippines
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This course aims at:
? Collectively understanding the framework of security sector reform, the changing notion and evolving practices, as well as the actors involved in this sector
? Exploring the nexus between security, development and peace
? Examining the importance of linking national and local levels of SSR initiatives towards systemic peacebuilding
? Visiting and dialoguing with military and local government actors crucially engaged in security sector reform
? Identifying appropriate SSR frameworks that will strategically respond to each participant?s context.
For Whom:
? Military and police officers
? Civil society organizations who are engaged, or have intention to engage, in security sector reform
? Local government officials who are involved with the security sector
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Rationale:
In Asia?s long history of conflict, traditional understanding of the security sector dominates the landscape. State security forces are seen as primary human rights violators in their own countries. For civil society organizations that are into peacebuilding work, dealing and working with the security sector is therefore conceived as ?sleeping with the enemy?. On the contrary, the state security forces view the CSO?s involved in human rights and peace work as pain in the neck and usually suspected as allies of their opponents and thereby possibility of working together is futile.
Changing Political Landscape: Security Sector Reform (SSR) as an Imperative to Peacebuilding
There is no universally accepted framework for Security Sector Reform in the global context; however UNDP, OECD, US government, European Union and many countries have already generated their own SSR concept.
Security Sector Reform is the set of policies, plans, programs, and activities that a government undertakes to improve the way it provides safety, security, and justice. The overall objective is to provide these services in a way that promotes an effective and legitimate public service that is transparent, accountable to civilian authority, and responsive to the needs of the public.1
The Armed Forces of the Philippines has declared a slogan ?Winning the Peace? – and strives for a negotiated political settlement of armed conflicts towards ensuring national security. The strategic components of SSR in the Philippines include: the creation of civilian control and oversight of the whole security
sector, orienting security forces on human rights, international humanitarian law, culture sensitivity; strengthening of internal security
systems and strengthening the rule of law.
Although this course explores the emerging concept of SSR in different contexts in Asia, the Philippines? experience of developing SSR will be the main case studies to be presented in this course.
After dialoguing with different actors involved in the security sector and towards the end of the course, each participant will have the opportunity to design and present their own SSR framework that strategically responds to their respective contexts.
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IMPORTANT:
? Course Fee: US$500 (or equivalent amount in Philippine Peso) per participant that covers lodging and meals, course materials and handouts
? Participants will have to take responsibility of their international and/or local travel (Manila – Cagayan de Oro ? Manila) including taxes and other fees
? Visa to Philippines can be obtained upon arrival at Manila International Airport
? Course venue and lodging will be at Balay Mindanaw International Center for Peace, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines
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Resource Persons and Facilitators:
? Charlito Z. Manlupig, President, Balay Mindanaw, Action Asia Secretariat Convenor
? Dr. Jennifer Oreta, Political Science Department SSR Working Group, Ateneo De Manila
? Ariel C. Hernandez, Senior Director for Program Development, in-house SSR Advocate and Expert
? Ret. Lt. General Raymundo Ferrer, the First Peacebuilding General and Lt. Col. Benjie Hao
? Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, Commanding General Phil. Army, the Father of IPSP Bayanihan, SSR Champion in the Armed Forces of the Philippines
? Governor Oscar Moreno, Governor of Misamis Oriental
? Governor Khalid Dimaporo, Governor of Lanao Norte
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For those interested, kindly email actionasiasecretariat@gmail.com so we can sendyou the Application Form.