PBI Nepal's First Volunteer Training

From November 21-26, PBI-Nepal held its first training for volunteer field staff in Wustrow, Germany. Eight candidates hailing from Chile, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, and the United States joined us. Three of them were former field staff with PBI's Indonesia Project, and most of the others had previously worked and/or volunteered in Nepal.

The training was facilitated by Peter Leblanc (PBI-Nepal project coordinator) and Jenny Brav (PBI-Nepal project committee member). Furthermore, the presence of two Nepali activists for part of the training greatly enhanced its quality, as it enabled the potential volunteers to have a more "real" simulation during the networking role plays, and gave them first hand knowledge about Nepal. In addition, guest speakers from PBI-Germany explained the work and role of country groups, and helped participants explore ways of developing a Nepal Support Network in key countries.

Through the use of interactive methods such as role plays, games, and small group work, the training covered topics such as: the history and working methods of PBI; the history of the conflict in Nepal; actor mapping and conflict analysis; security planning; networking; and interpersonal communication skills. There were also opportunities to share our stories, and a party on the last evening.

PBI-Nepal plans to deploy the first two volunteer staff to Kathmandu in January 2006. The first field-based pair will hopefully be deployed in March. While the next training date is not yet fixed, it will be held in the first quarter of 2006. Please get in touch with our recruitment team at volunteer@pbinepal.org for more information on the trainings.