Reintegration of ex-combatants and vulnerable youth into civil society
Project description
Title: Reintegration of ex-combatants and vulnerable youth into civil society in Côte d’Ivoire
Commissioned by: Unité de Coordination du Projet d'Assistance Post-Conflit ( UC-PAPC)
Financier: Europäische Union; Weltbank
Country: European Union; World Bank
Overall term: 2009 to 2010
Context
The worst crisis Côte d’Ivoire has yet experienced ended in 2007 when opposing sides of the ongoing conflict entered into a peace process that led to the signing of the Ouagadougou Peace Agreement. An important aspect of the talks was the agreements on demobilising ex-combatants and militia members, and their reintegration into civil society. These measures were accompanied by efforts to reform the social protection sector.
From 2005 forward, GIZ International Services (IS) supported the important process of reintegrating former combatants to overcome the crisis with a number of successful reintegration projects on behalf of the World Bank and the EU. In designing these projects, which tentatively ended in 2011, GIZ IS was able to draw on many years of experience in reintegration activities and social protection reforms in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
Objective
11,000 ex-combatants and vulnerable youths are reintegrated into civil society and equipped with new skills to sustain themselves economically and socially in the long term. In future national institutions, especially the Programme du Service Civique National (PSCN), will be able to successfully implement reintegration programmes.
Approach
From 2005 to 2011, GIZ International Services ran a number of successful programmes for the social and economic reintegration of former combatants, militia members and vulnerable youths. Technical training programmes, civic education and support for generating more job opportunities opened up new economic and social prospects for young people, and played a key role in securing peace.
Nine training centres were rebuilt and extended in different parts of the country. They now provide training for ex-combatants and vulnerable youths in a variety of technical and agricultural occupations.
The training programmes are structured as follows:
- Identification of participants, plus an orientation phase to ascertain appropriate fields of training for them
- Two months of basic training in the centres, covering subjects such as the rights and duties of citizens, basic mathematics, bookkeeping and other essential topics for starting a career; preparation for the chosen branch of employment promotion
- Up to six months of practical vocational training in technical, agricultural, service or commercial occupations completed with artisans or small companies, or in the training centres
- Identification of suitable job placements, either in self-employment or as an employee
- Distribution of starter kits to the participants, following their successful completion of the training (tools or typical equipment, based on the chosen occupation)
- Support measures for participants during the initial phase of their employment
- Participatory evaluation of the programme, three months after completion of training
In one section of their training, the participants must also contribute to non-commercial community activities. This helps raise the level of acceptance for the project in the host communities.
GIZ IS was responsible for all aspects of project implementation and content development, as well as for cooperation with local partners and clients. GIZ IS was also able to get the national partner, PSCN, involved. Thanks to targeted capacity building, the national institution has been enabled to play a leading role in any future reintegration measures.