Competences Depending on the nature and duration of the training course, the following intercultural competences are covered to a greater or lesser extent (according to the CIMIC model):

o Self-knowledge and reflection
o Flexibility and assertiveness
o Resilience towards diversity
o Openness/receptiveness
o Knowledge and insight
o Entering into and maintaining positive relations
o Communicative sensitivity
o Handling dilemmas, conflict management
o Multiperspectivity

The Okwan da ho training courses always provide an open and safe learning environment, guaranteeing confidentiality. The individual learning needs of participants come first, and students are challenged to choose to

- take a certain route
- progress further than they would have imagined at first
- cross their own boundaries and experience that as rewarding

It is about the alternation between ‘head, heart & hands’, or in other words it is always about yourself in everything you do and do not do and drawing on as many senses as possible. The main guide used all the time, is that of experiences, reflection, insights and applicability. This is broadened by meeting the other, the community, God and yourself. And deepened by experiencing the surroundings, behaviour, convictions, values, identity and by assigning meaningfulness.

Henk is a trainer/coach/facilitator with over 30 years of experience, more than 23 of those in international contexts. Read more……. In the 1990s, Henk lived and worked for over 6 years in Ghana and taught in various international sectors. In May 2017, he returned to his beloved Ghana. In the intervening 15 years he worked for ‘ICCO Cooperation’, where he developed and gave numerous training courses, seminars, learning directions, workshops and train-the-trainer courses on a variety of subjects. His main expertise is in intercultural communication. In addition to that, he adopted his own approach via the ‘concept of meeting – in four life dimensions’. Based on this, he developed a wide range of training methods for professionals and volunteers in the non-profit sector, intercultural and other leadership training courses, team-building events, capacity training in various cultural contexts, and indoor and outdoor training for groups of all sizes. Together with actors he develops and gives safety training and workshops about handling aggression and stress. He has an impressive track record in the area of talent development in mainly young European volunteers and professionals in development cooperation. He has worked for humanitarian and religious development organisations, both in the Netherlands, at a European level and worldwide. In the last 5 years, the emphasis of his work has mainly been on policy initiatives regarding the development of new training courses (with a lot of participative methods), policy development on training (cooperation with other educational institutes) and coaching of young potential trainers (expertise development and coaching). When he gives a training, Henk lets things happen, which ensures participants are fully involved. He communicates easily and cooperates positively with other trainers and coaches. He has a conceptual and visionary way of thinking, is ambitious, energetic, positive, enterprising and very enthusiastic. According to the Keirsey Temperament Sorter he is a ‘Champion Idealist’. His working languages are Dutch (native), English and some Twi (a local Ghanaian language).