31. 1. 2024 | Development (ODA), PR, Regional cooperation, U-LEAD: with Europe
Today, we hosted a final event of the third mentorship visit under the auspices of the project ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’ at Jable Castle.
The mentorship visit between Kočevje and Bucha, focusing on enhancing Bucha’s capacities in project writing and project management and development of a business-friendly environment with the help of experts, mentors and representatives from Kočevje municipality and business sectors, took place between 17 January and 1 February 2023 in Kočevje, Slovenija.
Opening the final event at Jable was Ms Nina Čepon, CEP Executive Director, introducing the Slovenian Aid and Partnerships project activities, commending the efforts of Bucha mentees for their work over the three weeks, and indicating further possible fields of cooperation with Kočevje and CEP. She thanked all involved organisations for their support of project activities, ensuring activities are well structured, aimed at needs expressed by Ukrainian municipalities and aiding reconstruction and recovery efforts.
Addressing the participants was also the mayor of the municipality of Bucha, Mr Anatolii Fedoruk, who thanked his Bucha colleagues and all involved in the project for the effort and work during these three weeks. He expressed the gratitude of the entire Bucha community to Kočevje municipality for all their efforts and extended hand of support, reaffirming that the support is not taken for granted and the willingness to work towards stronger cooperation is ever strong.
Dr Vladimir Prebilič, mayor of Kočevje, commended the work and the willingness of Bucha municipality to work towards a stronger business support system in the municipality, offered support of Kočevje, stating the intent of Kočevje to pursue and sign a sister city agreement and continue to good cooperation – possibly with the organisation of a summer camp for children from Bucha in Kočevje.
Joining the mentorship in Kočevje were Ms Tetiana Lipinska, Head of the Sector for Economic Development at the Bucha City Council, and Mr Andrii Melnyk, Project Manager in the Sector for Economic Development of Bucha City Council, who were mentored by the municipality of Kočevje mentors, Mr Andrej Mladenovič, Deputy Mayor of Kočevje and Ms Lili Štefanič, Director of Municipal Administration of Kočevje.
In the first week, mentees focused their attention on needs assessment, followed by the basics of project management, project writing and project funding and began preparing a frame for a project they wish to implement in Bucha, within the Bucha Techno Garden, with the help of expert Mr Klemen Srna.
The second week focused on the establishment of a business-friendly environment, with the municipality of Kočevje preparing a rich side programme for mentees, with visits to the Kočevje business incubator, where Bucha mentees learned more about the cooperation between the municipality, incubator, businesses in the region, educational institutions and more. Discussion with Ribnica Kočevje Regional Development Agency highlighted the areas of possible support of such an organisation to businesses. On Thursday and Friday, two more side visits were held – a visit to ABC Hub and Accelerator in Ljubljana, where the activities of the Hub and their coworking space were presented, and a visit to Dolenjske Toplice spa, where the director, Ms Lazič presented the activities of Terme Krka complex, the rehabilitation and medical programme of the spa and subsequent effect the spa had on the development of the area.
The third week focused on the preparation of a project concept for the development of the Bucha business incubator. Mentees were aided by Mrs Slavka Zupan and Mr Klemen Srna and prepared a well-elaborated concept. Mentors Mr Srna and Ms Zupan also shared some thoughts on project evaluation and searching for investors and prepared a short overview of possible funding options.
The mentorship concluded today with an internal debrief between CEP, external experts Mr Srna and Mrs Zupan, mentor Mr Mladenovič and mentees, followed by a public presentation of the mentorship and project plans prepared with the help of new knowledge gained during the mentorship, which will be elaborated and finalized during the project until the end of 2024.
Joining the closing event were also the representative of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Ms Nataša Kos, Minister Plenipotentiary, who commended the successful activities of the mentorship and reaffirmed the support of Slovenia to Ukraine, and H.E Mr Andrii Taran, Ambassador of Ukraine to Slovenia, who commended the work of Bucha mentees and expressed his gratitude for the Slovenian support to Ukraine. Joining the event was also Dr Andrej Horvat, Deputy Director of U-LEAD with Europe Programme at GIZ, who expressed his support for project activities and emphasised the need for stronger support to efforts in Ukraine. Ms Nataša Goršek Mencin, Deputy Head of the European Commission Representation in Slovenia, reaffirmed the support of the European Commission to Ukrainian recovery efforts through the Ukraine Facility mechanism.
The ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’ project is funded by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs through the Slovenian Aid and Partnerships and implemented in partnership with ‘U-LEAD with Europe’. U-LEAD with Europe programme is a partnership of the Ukrainian government and the European Union, and its member states Germany, Poland, Denmark and Slovenia, to support the establishment of multi-level governance that is transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of the population of Ukraine.
30. 1. 2024 | Peace and security, POTC, PR
Peace Operations Training Centre (POTC) and the European Security and Defence College (ESDC) have joined forces to organise a training course titled “A Comprehensive Approach to Gender in Operations.” Scheduled from March 19-21 at Jable Castle with one extra day of self-paced eLearning, the program aims to enhance operational effectiveness by equipping participants with the knowledge and skills to integrate a gender perspective in international peace operations and missions.
Kliknite tukaj za branje članka v slovenskem jeziku.
The training course, developed based on the ESDC’s Activity Number 21 curriculum and POTC’s prior training activities, focuses on key learning objectives spanning knowledge, skills, and competence outcomes. Participants will gain insights into recognising the relevance of a gender perspective in peace operations, understanding international legal frameworks related to gender equality, and identifying security needs and perspectives of local populations in crisis or conflict environments.
The target audience for the program includes 20 civilian experts, police, and military personnel actively involved or planning to participate in international missions or operations. The course is open to middle-management military officials, civilians, police, and diplomats from EU Member States and institutions, as well as individuals interested in future participation in CSDP, NATO, OSCE, or UN missions.
The application process is open until February 29th, 2024, with a selection process conducted by POTC/ESDC. Notification of selection will be communicated by March 3rd, 2024. The working language of the training is English, and fluency in English is required.
Participation during the whole duration of the gender in operations training (3 full days at Jable Castle with approximately 10 hours of program/day and approximately 4 hours of the eLearning module
prior to the start of the training) is mandatory in order to receive a certificate of participation at the end of the training. Participants who are not from Slovenia are expected to arrive no later than Monday, 18th of March.
Accommodation will not be covered by POTC. However, upon request, POTC can assist with finding economic accommodation in Ljubljana, which is 15 minutes away from Jable Castle. Upon request, POTC can also assist with finding optimal local transport solutions for participants coming from outside of Slovenia.
Application of participants is through national nominators: List of ESDC Nominators (ENLIST system)
(JotForm LINK)
Tentative course programme: PDF LINK
For further information, interested individuals can contact: [email protected]
This comprehensive training initiative reflects the commitment of POTC and ESDC to advancing gender equality and mainstreaming in international peace operations and missions.
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17. 1. 2024 | Development (ODA), PR, Regional cooperation, U-LEAD: with Europe
Mentees from Bucha, representatives of the Municipality of Kočevje and CEP have kicked off the three-week mentorship under the auspices of the project ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’ in Kočevje today.
The mentorship visit, taking place between 17 and 31 January, is the continuation of the visit of Bucha Urban Hromada representatives in October 2023 and means the development of the cooperation formalised by signing the cooperation agreement on 2 October. The visit to Kočevje, hosted by the Municipality of Kočevje, was opened by CEP Senior Advisor Ms Jelka Klemenc and Kočevje Mayor Dr Vladimir Prebilič, who presented the work of Kočevje to Bucha representatives and wished that the representative use the time in Kočevje to gain as much knowledge as possible to implement in Bucha. An intensive three-week working programme was prepared to contribute to transferring targeted and needs-based knowledge and deliver sustainable results, working toward a long-term partnership between the municipalities.
The opening session was followed by the first interactive workshop on project management, development strategy preparation, and fund absorption, one of the main topics of the mentorship that will contribute to strengthening Bucha’s institutional capacities. Joining us from Bucha are Ms Tetiana Lipinska, Head of the Department of Economic Development and Investments of Bucha City Council and Mr Andrii Melnyk, Project Manager from the Department of Economic Development and Investments of Bucha City Council, who will receive knowledge of Kočevje’s experience and good practice on business development, investor attraction and development of business incubator. With the assistance of CEP, the visit will work on kick-starting the development of strategy, focusing on establishing a business-friendly environment, culminating in the development of Bucha Techno Garden.
With a rich side programme, Kočevje will also present its business environment, successfully implemented projects and more.
The ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’ project is funded by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs through the Slovenian Aid and Partnerships and implemented in partnership with ‘U-LEAD with Europe’. U-LEAD with Europe programme is a partnership of the Ukrainian government and the European Union, and its member states Germany, Sweden, Poland and Slovenia to support the establishment of multi-level governance that is transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of the population of Ukraine.
17. 1. 2024 | EUCTI, Peace and security, POTC, PR
From January 8 to 12, POTC facilitated its first training activity of 2024: the Training of Trainers (ToT) in Windhoek, Namibia. The end result was the enhancement of skills of 18 individuals who are or will be engaged in international crisis management, training Namibian national personnel and part of international peace operations. The Peace Operations Training Centre (POTC) organised this training in collaboration with the Namibian International Women Peace Centre (NIWPC) with the support of the European Union Civilian Training Initiative (EUCTI).
Kliknite tukaj za branje članka v slovenskem jeziku.
The ToT provided a platform for participants to delve into the practical application of learning theories, enhancing their ability to conduct impactful training sessions. Over the course, attendees honed their skills in crafting engaging training sessions, engaged in reflective practices to understand their unique training styles, and improved their delivery of course materials.
The POTC team and our trainers extend sincere appreciation for the warm welcome extended by our Namibian hosts and participants. The hospitality we experienced added a unique and enriching dimension to the training, creating an atmosphere conducive to productive learning and collaboration.
The organisers anticipate the success of participants and hope for continued cooperation in various fields, contributing to global peace and security efforts, as well as the development of training options in Namibia by local trainers. POTC believes that the skills and insights gained by the participants will undoubtedly contribute to the enhanced capabilities of Namibian personnel. The organisers look forward to witnessing the positive outcomes of this collaboration, fostering a legacy of cooperation and mutual understanding between Slovenia, the European Union and Namibia.
Pictures from the ToT are available on Flickr: ToT Namibia 2024
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16. 1. 2024 | Development (ODA), PR, Regional cooperation, U-LEAD: with Europe
We are beginning the first three-week mentorship of 2024 in the municipality of Kočevje on 17 January under the auspices of the project ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’.
The third mentorship visit of the project builds upon a cooperation agreement between Bucha and Kočevje focusing on the deepening of cooperation in various fields, signed on 2 October 2023 at Jable Castle.
The mentorship will focus on the needs expressed by Bucha municipality, which is working on the establishment of a tech park and wishes to strengthen cooperation between the municipality and businesses as well as address topics crucial for further development of the municipality, such as project management, project writing and topics related to EU enlargement process on the local level.
Kočevje municipality, with its vast experience of cooperation with businesses, the establishment of the development agency Kočevje Ribnica and business incubator Kočevje will offer valuable knowledge not only through the presentation of good practices but also through site visits of stakeholders involved.
In the next weeks, two representatives from the business development sector of Bucha municipality will explore more about project planning, preparation and management, EU project funding, steps needed to ensure an investor-friendly environment and more on the establishment of a business incubator.
The ‘Post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine’ project is funded by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs through the Slovenian Aid and Partnerships and implemented in partnership with ‘U-LEAD with Europe’. U-LEAD with Europe programme is a partnership of the Ukrainian government and the European Union, and its member states Germany, Sweden, Poland and Slovenia to support the establishment of multi-level governance that is transparent, accountable and responsive to the needs of the population of Ukraine.