Vasu Gounden

Vasu Gounden "is the Founder and Executive Director of the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD). He is a mediator, trainer and researcher in the field of conflict resolution. He is an experienced Conflict Resolution Trainer, having been an active trainer in the field since 1990. Gounden has extensive international training experience and has conducted trainings for, among others, the South African Department of Foreign Affairs; the Organization of African Unity (OAU); the United Nations (UN), and was a consultant to the Commonwealth Gender and Youth Division where he has trained Parliamentarians, women and youth groups from Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. Gounden has been involved in mediation work both in South Africa and on the Continent, including Somalia, working with former President Nelson Mandela in facilitating the role of civil society in the peace process in Burundi and serving as an advisor on strategy to former President Masire on the InterCongolese Dialogue Peace Process. Mr. Gounden also worked in preparing rebel groups for the negotiation process in Burundi, facilitated by the South African Government. In September 2005 Mr. Gounden was the first member of an African NGO in the history of the United Nations Security Council to address the Council. Gounden has been elected by the World Economic Forum as one of their Global Leaders for Tomorrow (GLT)."

Affiliations

 * Governing Council, Center for Global Nonkilling
 * International Advisory Board, Crisis Management Initiative
 * Editorial Board, Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies