Bamako: A three-day workshop has opened in Bamako, Mali, bringing together stakeholders from four West African countries to co-create messages aimed at promoting cross-border peace and social cohesion.
According to Ghana News Agency, the initiative forms part of the 'Peaceful and Resilient Cross-Border Regions in the Sahel-Coastal Countries of Burkina Faso, C´te d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Mali - Cross-Border Cooperation (SKBoWa)' project. This project is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) with co-funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union (EU).
The participants are expected to design clear, adaptable, and impactful messages to enhance human security governance, strengthen social cohesion, and foster economic development in border communities across the four countries. The workshop follows National Preparatory Meetings held in each participating country, where key awareness messages were developed for both local and trans-border communities.
These messages focus on strengthening social cohesion, preventing conflict, and combating violent extremism. Among them are: 'Let us dialogue to prevent conflicts'; 'Land and water are our common heritage, let us protect them together'; 'Let us not fall into the hands of hatred'; and 'Extremism leads to destruction.'
Addressing the participants at the opening session, Mr Raymond Menou, a representative of the GIZ Country Director for Mali, noted that the co-created messages would significantly shape public perceptions and encourage acceptance of peace, tolerance, and solidarity. He expressed confidence that the outcomes would be inclusive and sensitive to the fundamental human rights of all people, regardless of their vulnerability or risk of discrimination.
Mr Seydou Ouane, the National Director of Borders in Mali, who chaired the session, highlighted that national borders, though considered 'spaces of life and solidarity,' were increasingly challenged by issues that undermined peace and socio-economic progress. These challenges include resource-related disputes, insecurity linked to violent extremism, tensions over transhumance, inadequate access to basic services, migration, and border demarcation disputes.
Mrs. Dicko Djeyneba, a representative of the Permanent Secretary of Borders in Burkina Faso, observed that African borders are zones of embracing and integration between people which, by the will of colonizers, have been separated. She emphasized that border communities often share common languages, customs, and social, economic, and historical ties, making cross-border cohesion more critical.
Mrs. Theodora Enyonam Obobi Botchway, the Head of Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ghana Boundary Commission, commended GIZ and its partners for creating the platform to develop messages that promote cross-border peace and cohesion. She urged the participants to collaborate effectively to craft messages capable of driving positive change in local and cross-border communities.
