ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan

On 26 October the UNRCCA within its Preventive Diplomacy Academy (PDA) initiative organized an online session for 2023 PDA participants on “Decision making skills”.

The substantive part of the session was dedicated to developing and improving the skills and knowledge of PDA participants in decision-making processes, contributing to the increase in efficiency and quality of actions in preventive diplomacy.

At the start of the event, a moderator of the session briefly introduced the young people to the fundamentals and algorithm of decision making, the ways of problems formulation, factors influencing on problem-solving efficiency which first require analyzing the situation, assessing the consequences, considering the interests and values of the parties as well as finding compromises and consensus that lead to  preventing or resolving conflicts to lay foundations for a lasting political solution to promote global stability.

Participants were also deeply familiarized with preventive diplomacy and decision-making skills that are inseparably linked, especially in conflict prevention and conflict resolution.

Participants increased their knowledge in decision-making skills that play a pivotal role in the global strategy, learned about the importance of decision-makers during periods of rising political tensions or emerging crises.

The session provided a good opportunity for PDA participants to discuss prospects and best practices aimed at fostering increased participation of youth in the processes related to preventing and countering violent extremism through national strategies and action plans.

In the course of the session, young people discussed in groups situational tasks and practiced their skills through the methods such as “Algorithm”, “A decision Tree” and “Descartes Square” required in decision-making processes.

Overall, the online session offered the young people a fruitful platform for the exchange of knowledge and a productive dialogue. The PDA participants learned to analyze problems, evaluate alternatives, consider the parties' interest, seek compromises and consensus.