Use non-violent mechanisms to resolve conflicts – Peace Council urges

The National Peace Council has urged stakeholders particularly traditional and community leaders to constantly employ non-violent mechanisms to resolve localised conflicts to promote sustainable development.Mr Ali Anankpieng, the Executive Secretary of the Upper East Regional Peace Council, said engagement, dialogue and negotiations were major ingredients to understanding and appreciating one another and would contribute to resolving any differences.'From our experience, we have realised that when people engage or dialogue they get to understand and appreciate each other better,' he said.The Executive Secretary made the call at a capacity building workshop for the stakeholders on conflict resolution and peacebuilding mechanisms at Garu, Bawku West and Bongo Districts.It formed part of the 'Enhancing Social Cohesion and Social Contract through Empowering Women and Youth in Northern Ghana,' project being rolled out in selected communities in the Bawku West, Garu and Bongo Districts in the Upper East Re gion.It is being funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the auspices of the United Nations Peace Fund.The objective of the project is to empower local level stakeholders and influence the establishment of peace infrastructure to address localised conflicts and promote social cohesion for sustainable peace and development.The training brought together stakeholders such as traditional and religious leaders, opinion leaders, youth and women groups and other minority groups particularly the Fulbe community.The participants among other issues discussed, chieftaincy disputes, farmer herder conflicts, land conflicts, and political conflicts, which were identified as root causes of major conflicts in the local communities.Mr Anankpieng noted that to ensure sustainable development, there was the need for stakeholders to collectively work to ensure peace in their respective communities.'So, we want the stakeholders especially the traditional and religious leaders to lead by example by educating their subjects on the need to use non-violent means to resolve their differences,' he added.Mr Edmond Alagpulinsa, Principal Investigator with the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice in Bolgatanga who facilitated the training took the participants through how to detect threats of conflicts and how to use mediation, dialogue, and engagement to resolve them.Mr Ali Haruna, the District Chief Executive for Garu said peace was the foundation of development and urged the stakeholders to support the project to achieve its goals.'I am pleased that a project of this nature is being implemented here in Garu. We need peace and peace is the foundation upon which every development can take place and through which people can enjoy their lives.'I urge the participants to take the training seriously and be ambassadors of peace in their communities especially for the fact that Garu is close to the Bawku conflict and has experienced skirmishes of it' he added.Mr Laminu Moro, a participa nt and Leader of the Fulbe community in Denugu in Garu District said the training was an eye opener and believed that it would go a long way to build cohesion between the indigenes and the Fulbe community.Source: Ghana News Agency