Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com
By William Yaw Owusu
Thursday April 21, 2011.
A workshop aimed at involving women in conflict prevention efforts in the Northern Region has ended at Bimbila in Kpandai in the Kpandai District of the Northern Region with a call on all stakeholders to encourage women in peace building mechanisms.
It was organized by the Tamale Ecclesiastical Province Pastoral Council (TEPPCON) with sponsorship from the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) under the theme, “Conflict prevention in the Northern regions: Role of women.”
A similar workshop was also organized at Bimbila in the Nanumba North District to sensitize more women on the need to join peace building efforts in the northern regions.
Opening the workshop, which was attended by about 50 participants from various women groups and other civil society organizations, Jasper Moayi Jatoh, District Chief Executive (DCE) for Kpandai, said the time has come for all stakeholders to collaborate to ensure that conflicts become a thing of the past.
He said conflicts are preventable and therefore the people should always work towards curbing this menace which has the potential to set communities apart and derail rapid development.
The DCE said as a result of conflicts in the region, many essential service providers such as doctors, nurses and teachers, among others, continue to seek transfers out of the area while others refuse postings to the area.
He said as part of their commitment to make the district a haven of peace, the assembly has established justice and peace committee to deal with what he terms “all nagging conflicts” in the area.
He urged the people to co-exist peacefully and commended KAS for their effort to help in peace building efforts in the country.
A Minister of State and Member of Parliament (MP) for Kpandai Likipalmor, Kojo Tawiah said the best way to reduce conflict is for the people to respect the views of others and ensure tolerance.
He said “investors and development partners are not attracted to invest in conflict-prone areas and this draws back the clock of progress and stifle economic growth and business activities which should have ended the endemic poverty in the area,” he added.
The MCE commended TEPPCON, KAS and other development organizations for their persistent efforts towards the development of the area, adding, “It is heartwarming for women to play a leading role in the promotion of peace and development in Dagbon.”
Dr. Isaac Owusu-Mensah, Senior Programmes Manager of KAS, appealed passionately to the people, particularly the youth not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to foment trouble to satisfy their parochial interests.
He said politicians, who preach violence, must not be entertained by the electorate and said the role of politicians and political parties is to create an enabling environment for the people to create wealth.
Dr. Owusu-Mensah said KAS is focusing on women for peace building because principally women have considerably contributed to the fight against conflicts and the perpetrators are their husbands, children, uncles and brothers.
He said conflict prevention should not be the sole responsibility of the government, saying “it is time for all persons to actively get involved through their minimal contributions towards peace and development.”
Agnes Gandaa, TEPPCON Partnership Coordinator, urged the authorities in the northern sector to tackle the increasing threat posed by Fulani herdsmen, noting that “they are now found everywhere in the three regions and are causing all sorts of troubles.”
Most Reverend Philip Naameh, the Tamale Metropolitan Archbishop, who chaired the workshop, appealed to the people to strive for peace and unity to accelerate development of the area.
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