Bawku west: The Upper East Regional office of the National Peace Council (NPC) has organised a two-day capacity-building workshop for selected opinion leaders, minority groups including the Fulbe, refugees, and youth in the Bawku West District to serve as champions of peace and promote social cohesion in their communities.
According to Ghana News Agency, the participants, numbering 24 and drawn from three host communities comprising Sapeliga, Tarikom, and Widnaba, were taken through a series of topics including the concept of peace, gender-sensitive conflict analysis, conflict resolution, dialogue and mediation, and violent extremism, among others. The initiative, implemented under the project, 'Improving the Economic Resilience of Host Communities for Peacebuilding in Northern Ghana', aims to equip them with the knowledge and skills to resolve conflict, promote tolerance, and build resilience against violent extremism.
The training of the participants, which was a training of trainers, ultimately aimed to foster culturally diverse yet cohesive and peaceful communities where individuals, especially the youth, women, and minority groups, play an active role in maintaining peace and security. The project is funded by the Department of State of the United States of America through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
Mr Damien A. Asobayire, the Upper East Regional Executive Secretary of the NPC, indicated that the training was in response to the increasing pressure on local resources and social dynamics caused by the presence of refugees who fled extremist violence in neighbouring Burkina Faso. 'These communities are hosting both refugees and minority groups who are from different cultural backgrounds, and for peaceful coexistence to be possible, we must build their capacity in conflict resolution and social cohesion to enable them to co-exist,' he stated.
He added that after the two-day training, it is expected that these peace champions would return to their communities and lead peacebuilding processes, identify early warning signs of conflict, and respond to them appropriately.
Ms Abigail Asana, a participant from the Sapeliga community, highlighted that the presence of asylum seekers was exerting pressure on their limited social amenities, which was brewing tensions with the potential to spark conflict. She noted, 'There is no borehole for the refugees, and so they depend on the community borehole for water. And because of the increase of our numbers, there is always pressure as the borehole is overcrowded. The community people feel entitled to the borehole and always want to fetch before them, even if they arrive at the borehole first.'
Mr Isaac Anongwin, the Assemblyman of the Tarikom community, expressed that the knowledge gained was crucial and would enable him to facilitate peace and champion social cohesion in his electoral area. Mr Ali Anankpieng, the Facilitator and former Regional Executive Secretary of the Upper East Regional Peace Council, encouraged participants to remain vigilant and proactive in identifying early warning signs of conflict. He emphasised that timely detection of early warning signs was essential for effective conflict prevention and the promotion of constructive dialogue and peaceful resolution.
