. WOMEN’S EQUALITY .
An article by Boubacar Païtao in Maliweb (translation by CPNN)
In order to promote endogenous practices of conflict resolution and peacebuilding, the Union of Women of Cultural Communities for Peace in Mali (UFCPM) organized, from June 12 to 14, 2023, at the Auberge Titi de Fana, a capacity building workshop for influential women in their community and within their group on key concepts including peace, forgiveness, reconciliation, social cohesion, resilience.
The opening ceremony was chaired by the representative of the Governor of Dioïla, Jean Marie Sagara, in the presence of the president of the UFCPM, Kéïta Fanta Chérif Kéïta, the representative of the Norwegian Church Aid (AEN), Samake Loda Coulibaly.
After the words of welcome of the village chief of Fana, the president of the Union of women of cultural communities for peace in Mali (UFCPM), Kéïta Fanta Kéïta indicated that in these moments of multidimensional crisis in our country, it is the women who are innate champions for the maintenance of peace around us, and who are committed to the fight for pacification, stabilization, security, social cohesion, virtuous governance of Mali.
She added that they created the UFCPM with this in mind, with the aim of contributing to the reconciliation of hearts and minds to restore a definitive peace and strengthen social cohesion and the resilience of communities. According to her, UFCPM brings together all the women of the cultural communities of Mali who have decided to face the crisis situation with a clear vision. They are supported by courage and confidence in their power to strengthen the resilience of the communities very affected by the different crises and rebuild the socio-economic fabric deteriorated by these crises that our country has been experiencing since 2012.
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Can the women of Africa lead the continent to peace?
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Thus, she added, the women decided to use all their potential as mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, aunts, grandmothers to make Mali a haven of peace where assistance to the another is a cardinal value necessary for good living and the achievement of sustainable human development through stability, peace and social cohesion. According to her, the Union of Women of Cultural Communities for Peace in Mali (UFCPM) aims to contribute:
– the promotion of endogenous practices of conflict resolution and peacebuilding, the multiplication and application of regional, national and international legal and regulatory instruments;
– the promotion of intra- and inter-community initiatives to revive existing ancestral ties and maintain them for the benefit of social cohesion and the socio-economic emergence of the various localities;
– the creation of lasting mechanisms to strengthen the prospects for peaceful coexistence and reduce the risks of the outbreak and/or resumption and continuation of violent conflicts;
– the strengthening of intergenerational, intra- and inter-community dialogue for the respect of human rights and the promotion of the culture of peace,
– Consolidation of collaboration and consultation relations between Cultural Associations involved in conflict resolution, social cohesion and socio-economic development;
– the initiation of effective and efficient mechanisms to strengthen the actions of good governance.
In this dynamic, she continues, this workshop is designed to strengthen women in their intervention so that they can intervene in conflict situations.
Following her, the representative of the Governor of the Dioïla region, Jean Marie Sagara, welcomed the holding of this workshop for influential women in the communities, especially at a time when our country is facing a multidimensional crisis. . Given the importance of women in crisis resolution mechanisms, this workshop is timely. It will make it possible to better equip them on the key concepts of peace, forgiveness, reconciliation, social cohesion and resilience.