CURRICULUM VITAE: CLEVER B NYATHI Personal Details Name and address: Clever B Nyathi, BSc, MBA, PhD Permanent Address 7808 Shakespeare Avenue Highmount, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe Telephones: +263 9 209 089 (Res); +263 775 872 812 (Mobile) Email address: cbnyathi@yahoo.com Skype: nyathi007 Date and Place of Birth: Citizenship: 11 January 1950, Matobo, Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Qualifications and Experience BSc (University of Zambia), 1974. PhD (University of Saskatchewan, Canada), 1978. Executive MBA (University of Birmingham, UK), 2002. I have a combined 25 years of top level public sector, private sector and academic management experience including high level institutional management and capacity building including process facilitation and building national capacities for conflict transformation. Over the past 6 years, I have worked and consulted for UNDP in various capacities as senior professional in conflict transformation capacity building, dialogue facilitation and practice. Formal Employment and Consultancy History My current engagements: 1. Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (UNDP) (June Current) Senior Reconciliation and Dialogue Advisor for the Organ on National Healing, Reconciliation, and Integration (ONHRI) in Zimbabwe on (i) development of a national policy framework on reconciliation, conflict prevention, and peace-building, through an inclusive and transparent process of national dialogue and consultation, and (ii) development and application of a local level infrastructure for violence prevention, confidence-building, and dialogue through independent civic initiatives that are conducted with the Organ s support.
2. Electoral Reform International Services (December Current) Training for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission of Kenya in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms such conflict analysis, early warning, dialogue processes, negotiation and mediation at three levels: The Commissioners, The Head Office Secretariat staff and the Regional and Constituency Election Coordinators. At full strength, the Commission will have seventeen (17) Regional Election Coordinators (RECs) and two hundred and ninety (290) Constituency Election Coordinators (CECs); and support them in delivering peaceful elections in 2012. My recent engagements include: 3. Centre for Mediation in Africa, University of Pretoria (29 November 1 December 2011) I co-facilitated the inaugural Senior Government Officials Mediation training workshop. 4. Electoral Reform International Services (12 September 31 October 2011) Senior Conflict and Election Expert to undertake a conflict assessment mission in Kenya on behalf of ERIS, followed by the preparation of a training manual. 5. UNDP-Ghana and Parliament of Zimbabwe (April 2011) Training Members of Parliament of Zimbabwe on Conflict Prevention, Resolution, Peace Building and the Role of Parliament: The purpose of the assignment is to introduce the concept of conflict prevention, resolution and peace building to members of parliament in order for them to become peace ambassadors in their constituencies. This is especially important as the discussions on early elections gathered steam, and there were already reports of politically-motivated violence flaring up in some of the areas. 6. United Nations Development Programme (Ghana) (August 2008 December 2010; April 2011) April 2011: UNDP-Ghana engagement to work with the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice and National Peace Council to (i) develop organizational structure and functional arrangement to formally "establish" NPC under the new law, (ii) facilitate inception meetings for the new council and staff, (iii) strategic work planning for the new council and their capacity development plan, and (iv) conduct initial training sessions on key agenda priorities and best practices. August 2008 December 2010: Chief, Governance Programme in Ghana, with specific mandates in (i) Peace building and conflict Prevention, Strategic Support and
Engagement with Stakeholders, (ii) Managerial, Supervisory and Programme Management, and (iii) Resource Mobilisation and Partnership Development. My responsibilities include: supervising programme officers and other staff of the Governance Unit and provide mentoring and guidance in the implementation of AWP s; providing strategic advice and analyses to the RR/RC, BCPR, RBA and DPA on issues relating to peace and development in the country, with a view to enabling the best support from the wider UN system for peace building and conflict prevention in Ghana; providing analytical and technical advisory support to the Eminent Kings Committee on the Dagbon chieftaincy conflict and facilitate the implementation of any agreements that may be reached as well as promoting reconciliation in the Dagbon traditional area; being the focal point for the Governance Unit and maintain contact and strategic partnership with Donors, UN Agencies, International and National NGOs and Government counterparts as needed; and engaging with national actors to deepen ownership of the national architecture for peace and to widen the constituency for peace through operationalising the work of the regional peace councils and building capacities for conflict prevention at district and local levels, as well as engaging in intra and inter community peace-building and reconciliation, Parliament and Political Parties. 7. United Nations Development Programme (Nigeria) (January July 2008) I served as Senior Dialogue and Consultative Process Advisor in the Office of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, on the implementation of the Presidential Initiative on the Niger Delta. My role included helping establish a functional Niger Delta Office; construct a results-based strategic plan for the office: elaborate working arrangements and divisions of responsibility; hire additional professional and support staff; assist the State Governments in the target States in establishing similar coordination offices; provide facilitation support to the staff of the Presidency to help with overall strategic planning of its numerous functions and responsibilities relating to the Niger Delta initiative; and train, upon request, relevant existing and new staff in the Presidency, in State Governments and coordination offices in the areas of facilitation, mediation and convening of dialogue forums for effective group processes. 8. The Folke Bernadotte Academy (Sandö, Sweden) (November 10-16, 2007) I served as resource person in the capacity building course Facilitation of Dialogue Processes and Mediation Efforts for the UN Department of Political Affairs professional staff. The objectives of the training course were to (i) promote uniformity in the United Nations understanding of and approach to mediation and dialogue, while strengthening DPA s Mediation Support Unit as a support of mediation and dialogue in the UN system, (ii) encourage reflection on UN mediation within a values-based framework, (iii) enhance skills and provide practical methodologies for dialogue and mediation, and (iv) provide an opportunity to meet, reflect and share, within DPA and with partner UN departments and programs for mediation and dialogue processes.
9. United Nations Development Programme (Sierra Leone) (January September 2007) Served as UN Technical Advisor to the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC), and worked closely with UNIOSIL and the UNDP electoral team to ensure the proper planning, coordination and execution of the Commission's activities for the 2007 presidential and parliamentary elections. The specific responsibilities included: (i) Supporting the PPRC's institutional capacity development, (ii) Assisting the PPRC in developing a detailed work plan of its activities leading to the 2007 presidential and parliamentary elections, (iii) Advising the PPRC on the overall organization of its activities related to the electoral process, (iv) Advising the PPRC on program activities, technical expertise and procurement that will be required to successfully discharge its duties, and (v) Providing technical advice to the PPRC, as required. 10. United Nations Development Programme (Sierra Leone) (October 2006) I facilitated a code formulation dialogue/workshop, and moderated the discussions and support the synthesis of ideas and suggestions for the code. Further I supported the group in dealing with areas of conflict and in reaching consensus and offered expert advice to the dialogue participants in specific issues and in areas of disagreement. I facilitated (i) the development of the final draft of the code of conduct based on the discussions and the agreements reached, (ii) the design of a follow-up strategy for the PPRC regarding the implementation and monitoring of the code of conduct, including the issue of sanctions, and (iii) provided technical advice to the PPRC in the area of code of conducts and sanctions. 11. United Nations Development Programme (Ghana) (September 2006) I served as Lead Facilitator for an experience-sharing and planning workshop for newly appointed National Peace Council of Ghana. The objectives of the workshop were to clarify and consolidate the necessary principles underlying conflict transformation; deepen conflict analysis skills; sharpen the strategic vision, mission and objectives of the National Peace Council; and deepen skills for engaging in conflict resolution. My recommendations contained in the analytical report of the training, challenges arising and options for continued UNDP support to the National Peace Council were fully accepted for implementation. 12. United Nations Development Programme (Nigeria) (June 2006) Facilitated a two-part consultation/dialogue and training to (i) strengthen the capacity, through a training-of-trainer programme, of key actors mainly leading scholars and civil society leaders involved in conflict analysis, mediation, and negotiation - to design and deliver conflict mitigation trainings and programs; and (ii) elicit from leading scholars, civil society, national, state and local leaders, specific recommendations as to how UNDP and other partners could assist Nigeria in implementing select priorities with regards to the management or mitigation of existing conflicts or emerging threats. The
inputs from these consultations informed the subsequent conflict transformation programme in Nigeria. 13. United Nations Development Programme (Sierra Leone) (May 2006) I prepared a concept paper for and designed a training programme on conflict management for political parties in Sierra Leone and then co-facilitated the capacity building programme to strengthen the conflict transformation capacity of political parties and the Political Parties Registration Commission, through structured training, to anticipate and respond to conflict and crisis, to work effectively in diverse political environments, defuse conflict, and provide them with conflict resolution tools and techniques. The follow-on training and capacity building programmes that we recommended are being implemented. 14. United Nations Development Programme/BCPR (January May 2006) Co-facilitated a UNDP/DPA workshop on Building National Capacities for Conflict Prevention and Transformation: a Review and Sharing of Experiences in Istanbul, Turkey I served as a member of a team that reviewed a selected number of conflict prevention initiatives with a view to (i) systematically capturing the knowledge and lessons emerging from these initiatives on the ground in a number of countries; and (ii) assessing best practices, key areas of learning and issues for further exploration, on the basis of comparative experiences. The countries reviewed were Guyana, Ghana, Yemen, Sao Tome, Sri Lanka, Macedonia and Nepal 15. United Nations Development Programme/BCPR (Lesotho) (December 2005) I served as a represented BCPR in a UNDP-DPA electoral assessment mission to Lesotho. My role was to assist mission members, colleagues from the Country Office, and appropriate national counterparts in assessing risk factors associated with the upcoming elections; help identify appropriate preventive measures and activities, keeping in mind the request from the Lesotho Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to be included in the wider UN electoral assistance package; help identify the roles and responsibilities of the different actors in implementing these measures, including specific modalities for any training on conflict transformation requested by the IEC and other actors. I facilitated an all-political party dialogue. 16. United Nations Development Programme (Sierra Leone) (October November 2005) I prepared the groundwork for a multi- disciplinary United Nations inter- agency mission that took place in November 2005 including the drawing up a draft peace consolidation strategy framework to serve as a basis for further discussion among the relevant
stakeholders. Facilitated an all-stakeholder national consultation on peace consolidation in Sierra Leone and participated in the formulation of the final peace consolidation and development strategy for post-conflict Sierra Leone. 17. UNDP-BCPR (New York) (March September 2005) I served as Technical Advisor on Conflict Transformation Capacity Building initiatives and missions in Kenya, Namibia, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe. 18. United Nations Development Programme (Zimbabwe) (February 2002 December 2004) I served as a National Coordinator of the project Developing Capacity for Negotiating and Conflict Transformation Skills in Zimbabwe and provided that strategic leadership in the development processes and subsequent implementation of this Project. Reported to RC. The Project was based on strong stakeholder buy-in and creative use of UN presence on the ground and allowed participants from different cultures and political leanings in a highly polarised and politically charged environment to co-operatively analyse the causes of conflicts and to jointly develop appropriate responses for promoting peace. This was an innovative approach towards the integration of conflict prevention initiatives into development programming. In the process, I gained sufficient confidence and trust of opposing stakeholders to continue training in a severely polarised and politically charged environment. Bringing on board the military and police, academic and training institutions, parliament, government ministries, civil society and political parties was a major achievement. Whereas the Project was not aimed at resolving current challenges, it served to strengthen the capacities of domestic elements, in a neutral space. 19. Vedma Consulting Group (VCG) (2001 2002) I served as the founder Managing Director of VCG until I joined UNDP. VCG is a private conflict transformation and rural development consulting firm. Facilitated a number of high level dialogues organised by the National Economic Consultative Forum (Zimbabwe), Southern Africa International Dialogues (Zimbabwe, Botswana, Uganda, Mozambique) and Langkawi Internal Dialogues (Malaysia). These dialogues were attended by many Head of States/Governments, business, academia, and labour leaders. Chaired and facilitated a national dialogue of the Tripartite Negotiating Forum composed of the Government of Zimbabwe, business leaders and labour leaders. Subsequently drew up a social contract for the signature of the three parties.
20. National University of Science and Technology (1994 2000) I served as the inaugural Pro Vice Chancellor (Deputy President) of the newly established university. During the period, I played a critical role in the establishment of the dialogue forum called the National Economic Consultative Forum (NECF). I served a member of the Executive Core Group of the NECF and subsequently chaired the NECF "Ginger Group" for the establishment of the Matabeleland Regional Chapter of the NECF. References 1. Kamil Kamaluddeen, Country Director, UNDP-Ghana, Ring Road East, Near Fire Service HQ, Accra, Ghana; +2333020773890-6; kamil.kamaluddeen@undp.org 2. Gay Rosenblum-Kumar, Senior Secretary; UN Interagency Framework Team for Preventive Action, 1 UN Plaza, Rm. 2084, Tel: 1-212-906-5422, gay.rosenblumkumar@undp.org 3. Andries Odendaal, Conflict Transformation Trainer, 5 Inverness Avenue, Pinelands 7405, Cape Town, South Africa, +27 21 5323654, andries.odendaal@imaginet.co.za 4. Chris Spies, Independent Conflict Transformation Practitioner, 1 Laetitia Street, Die Boord, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa, +27 21 8838297, spies.c@gmail.com