The Open Hands Initiative’s "Salaam Fellowship for Conflict Resolution" brings together globally-focused young people from the U.S. and Morocco to increase mutual respect and understanding between our countries. The intense, week-long training and cultural exchange program equips participants with critical competencies in conflict resolution and negotiation at both the interpersonal and intergroup levels, taking care to examine the cultural implications involved. Through open dialogue, interactive workshops, and real-world application of the material, participants will develop a solid foundation in conflict management through a cross-cultural and international lens.
As with all of the Open Hands Initiative’s programs, this workshop is primarily aimed at breaking down stereotypes and increasing interdependence between the program participants. Through open dialogue, interactive workshops, and real world application of the material, participants will develop a solid foundation in conflict resolution through a cross-cultural and international lens. It will also include discussions on today's most pressing issues related to conflict in both the United States and Morocco, such as rising levels of inequality, migration, and climate change.
"Negotiation in Practice: Fieldwork with Agricultural Cooperatives in Rural Morocco" is a series of products written by the 2019 Salaam Fellows. The works are a result of their negotiation and conflict resolution training, directed by the Bridgeway Group, and a day of service-learning conducted in partnership with the High Atlas Foundation.
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The Salaam Fellowship is a fully funded week-long program that takes place in Rabat and Marrakesh, Morocco. Twenty exceptional fellows aged 18-26 make up the cohort, bringing backgrounds in international relations, political science, business, public health, communications, and civil society. Half are American and half are Moroccan, and all fellows are highly ambitious, emerging leaders active in their communities and eager to pursue careers in diplomacy, peacebuilding, and other related fields.
CURRICULUM: The program includes skills training in conflict mapping and analysis, negotiation and conflict management, effective communication, mediation, stakeholder mapping, and other related topics. This program not only provides intensive hands-on training, but offers opportunities for cultural engagement and exposure to representatives from academia, think tanks, non-profits, the media, international organizations, and both the public and private sectors. As part of the program, fellows work on a team capstone project to engage with local communities and apply the material learned in the classroom to real-world situations.
The Open Hands Initiative is only as strong as its partnerships. For the Salaam Fellowship, the Open Hands Initiative is proud to collaborate with:
The Bridgeway Group, a Cambridge-based non-profit that specializes in negotiations training and conflict resolution.
Université Internationale de Rabat (UIR), a public-private Moroccan university for undergraduate and graduate studies.
The High Atlas Foundation (HAF), an American and Moroccan non-profit organization dedicated to catalyzing prosperity and endorsing grassroots development with disenfranchised communities throughout Morocco.
We actively seek partners - individuals and organizations - from around the world in order to advance our common goals. Feel free to contact us by mail, phone or email to find out more about getting involved. Please note that we do not accept unsolicited funding requests or grant proposals.
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