On 15 January 2012, SFS Board Member Michal Moskow traveled from Minnesota to SFS’s Operational Headquarters in Garowe, Puntland.  Apart from meeting with community members, representatives of educational institutions, government officials and donors, Michal conducted a two-day training designed to help SFS’s field staff build their capacities and apply human rights concepts to all aspects of their programs.

Twenty-two staff from Garowe, Bosaso and Galkacyo attended the workshop, including non-professional personnel such as cleaners and security guards. During the training, SFS Executive Director Abdurashid Ali emphasized that every staff member had a role to play in ensuring that SFS successfully carry out its mission.

The workshop saw enthusiastic interaction between Michal and participants. As part of the training, Abdurashid invited donors to give presentations about their support of SFS. Building on this, SFS Accountant Abdirizak Qowle described the need to carefully document all financial activities, while Abdurashid discussed the need for all staff members to recognize the important links between SFS’s programs, donor requirements and financial accountability.

At one point during the training, participants were divided into three groups and asked to participate in a role-playing exercise. Each group formed a team, and within teams, each participant had a position to defend as a stakeholder. Group then came to a consensus on solutions and further analyzed the participation of team members, including that of the leader, and related this to their work at SFS.

As a final exercise, participants made a poster containing Somali words related to human rights, leadership and teamwork. This poster will be printed and displayed in various locations, including the Puntland Library & Resource Center itself, as well as Metropolitan State University and the offices of several human rights organizations.

By the end of the workshop, all staff members seemed to have an increased understanding of and appreciate for human rights, and of how human rights principles are essential for strong leadership and team work. Anonymous evaluations of the training were markedly positive, and all participants put forth concrete steps they could take to facilitate leadership, team building, and the application of human rights principles within SFS.