Karaga: The Community Resilience Against Violent Extremism (CRAVE) for Inclusive Development project has been launched to bolster community resilience against the threat of violent extremism in the Karaga District of the Northern Region.
According to Ghana News Agency, the six-month project is being implemented in three communities within the district: Tong, Sung, and Nangun Nayili. The initiative aims to engage the youth by promoting peaceful masculinity practices, thereby reducing their vulnerability to recruitment by violent extremist organizations. Additionally, the project seeks to bridge the gap between local communities and the Ghana Police Service by advancing community policing principles to enhance security and peaceful coexistence.
Mr. David Yiridong Issaka, Executive Director of CSD Reform, highlighted during the launch in Karaga that the project, which commenced in December last year, is designed to promote peaceful masculinity among both Fulbe and non-Fulbe youth. The efforts are directed towards fostering community conversations through trauma healing, psychosocial support, and dialogues to improve relationships with minority ethnic groups in the area. Funded by the European Union through COGINTA Ghana, the project forms part of the broader Preventing Violent Extremism and Supporting Peacebuilding in the Northern Border Regions of Ghana initiative.
The project will also focus on orienting the youth towards peaceful masculinity, establishing and training neighborhood watch committees, and forming Alternative Dispute Resolution Committees to address farmer-pastoralist conflicts, among other key interventions. Superintendent Mr. Peter Adjei, the Karaga District Police Commander, expressed that the project would significantly enhance the community policing concept, which is considered one of the most effective strategies in addressing crime. He assured the Police's commitment to the project, emphasizing its potential to positively impact law enforcement activities in the district.
Alhaji Seidu Musah, the Leader of the Fulbe community in Karaga District, praised CSD Reform and its partners for initiating the project and pledged support for its successful implementation.
