PATHWAYS Director Avi Goldstein was invited to Freetown by the U.S. Embassy in Sierra Leone and Africa Regional Services (ARS) to facilitate a series of problem-solving negotiation skills workshops aimed at promoting principled negotiation as a key element in good governance.

The program included three workshops in Freetown, one for political actors (leadership of different political parties, ministries, governmental departments and commissions, and civil society organizations), one for university students from Fourah Bay College coming together from several academic departments, and one for senior secondary students from a boys’ school and a girls’ school.

During the interactive sessions, participants explored a problem-solving approach to negotiation based on principles and methodology developed at the Harvard Negotiation project, practiced and reflected on lessons learned from a variety of role plays and simulations, and shared with one another practical best practices and advice based on their own experience and perspectives. Workshops were designed to bring together participants from across different political parties and backgrounds in order to develop a shared language and toolkit for joint problem-solving of real-life issues. 

During the trip, Avi had the opportunity to speak with Wake Up Sierra Leone on Africa Young Voices (AYV).