Category Archives: Africa

Dakar: International Post-Forum Seminar on Peace and Security in Africa

TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY .

An article from 7sur7 Senegal (translation by CPNN)

Senegal today [25 juin] hosted the Dakar International Post-Forum Seminar on Peace and Security in Africa. The seminar is organized as part of a partnership between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese and the Center for Higher Studies of Defense and Security (CHEDS) of Senegal. This year it is focused on the theme: “Prevention and fight against against violent extremism: what are the people’s responses? ”


Horchani Ferhat

Professor at the Faculty of Law and Political Science of Tunis, Horchani Ferhat, in his introductory presentation, explained the reasons for the failure of the international community in the fight against terrorism. This failure, according to him, is reflected at least on three levels.

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(Click here for the original French version of this article.)

Question for this article

Islamic extremism, how should it be opposed?

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The first is the dramatic increase in terrorist groups. According to him, the number of terrorist groups is growing with different names in different localities.

The second level is that, according to Professor Ferhat, the current terrorist groups (Islamic State, Daesch) have broader ambitions than mere terror. They have territorial and political ambitions.

Regarding the third level of failure, the professor reports that these groups are able to attract a large number of young people across national borders. The threat is transnational, even transcontinental.

For the professor, this relative failure of the international community, despite all the money that has been spent, requires another approach. “We can not go on like this,” said Professor Horchani Ferhat, thinking that we need a better approach to the phenomenon of terrorism. The objective should be to eradicate not only what is visible but to root out the evil at its roots.

“We need a real strategy, and this strategy needs to be global and multifaceted, which means that it must involve not only the State but also the national communities, that is to say the general populations”, he stressed. He also recalled that the phenomenon of terrorism is very complex and can have very different motivations. It can, in his opinion, have its source in crime, the drug trade, the search for easy money, radicalization, social and economic exclusion, and absolute poverty, among others.

Africa, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

Côte d’Ivoire: A seminar on the culture of peace organized at the FHB Foundation of Yamoussoukro

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article from Abidjan.net

“Educating for peace means training a caring and responsible citizen, respectful of human dignity and differences, and able to prevent conflicts or resolve them through non-violent means.” According to her, the culture of peace will only succeed if there is mutual understanding and an open and active conception of diversity.


Dr. Doumbia Diénéba

This was the message from Dr. Doumbia Diénéba at a training seminar held on Wednesday [13 juin] in Yamoussoukro on “Citizenship, the culture of peace and mutual understanding in academia.” Dr. Diénéba is the director of the peace research department of the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Foundation [FHB] of Yamoussoukro.

Dr. Doumbia emphasized that peace is a problem of collective action and not a given. It is not innate in the human being, it is the fruit of another type of wisdom.

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(Click here for the original version of this article in French)

Question for this article:

The Houghouët-Boigny Foundation of Yamoussoukro: what is its contribution to the culture of peace?

Where is peace education taking place?

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Initiated by the FHB foundation for the search for peace in collaboration with the Alassane Ouattara University (UAO), the training session involved the members of the University Platform for the Promotion of Peace and Democracy as well as leaders of clubs, associations and student unions.

In spite of the efforts and all the measures taken by the university authorities and the government, the violence in the universities returns in an episodic way. This violence has been threatening for some years, the safety of individuals, property on campus and disrupts academic years.

Faced with the complexity and the multiplicity of the violence, the causes of which require coordinated and complementary initiatives and actions, the FHB foundation aims to bring participants to master the tools of the culture of peace and the mechanisms of prevention and conflict management in the context of an academic environment where citizen behavior and mutual understanding are possible.

For the expert in the peaceful management of conflict, it is a question of making the transition from a world marked by a predominance of violence in all its forms, which leaves no respite to citizens, to a world where the values ​​of citizenship and the culture of peace are the very foundation of living together.

The director of the Peace Research Department of the FHB Foundation expressed hope that the training will strengthen participants’ skills and create within their university a critical mass of expertise and proven experience in the field of citizenship. citizenship, the culture of peace and non-violence.

Africa, EDUCATION FOR PEACE

Panafrican Women’s Network for Culture of Peace and Sustainable Development

. WOMEN’S EQUALITY .

An article from Pyramid Media Gabon

Victoire Lasseni-Duboze was elected head of the Panafrican Women’s Network for Culture of Peace and Sustainable Development-Gabon section, at their Constitutive General Assembly which took place last weekend at the Libreville Chamber of Commerce. The Assembly was supported by the United Nations System in Gabon and the Doupambi-Matoka Foundation for Solidarity Development.


Victoire Lasseni- Duboze during her speech / DR.

This the culmination of a long process launched in 2017 with the implementation of the project “Support to the contribution of women to the promotion of the culture of peace and the objectives of sustainable development in Gabon” , initiated by the mediator of the Republic. It consisted of the realization of several women’s activities including the celebrations of International Women’s Day (8 March) and Peace (21 September).

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(Click here for the original French version)

Question for this article

Can the women of Africa lead the continent to peace?

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The purpose of the activities is to promote the conditions for harmonious and peaceful living together for women from civil society and the artistic, cultural and scientific worlds. More than 200 women committed to creating a national network for a culture of peace and sustainable development during the first celebration. In 2017, during the international day of peace, the network was formalized by the establishment of a temporary office, which has started to elaborate the draft statutes, rules of procedure and action plan.

At the meeting, Stephen Jackson, coordinator of the United Nations System in Gabon, said: “I therefore welcome the convening of this constituent General Assembly of the Pan-African Women’s Network for the Culture of Peace and Development. sustainable-section Gabon. It testifies not only to the strength of conviction and commitment of Gabonese women but also it highlights, in line with the National Decade of Women (2015-2025 ), the awareness and recognition in this country of the necessary contribution of women to national development “.

After her election Victoire Lasseni-Duboze announced that the network will be set up in the nine provinces of Gabon. Because, she added: “we need peace throughout the territory”. The Panafrican Network of Women for Culture of Peace and Sustainable Development will aim to mobilize the women of Gabonese and African civil society in accordance with the “Plan of Action for a Culture of Peace in Africa- Take Action for Peace, adopted in Luanda, Angola, in March 2013, following the Pan-African Forum “Sources and Resources for a Culture of Peace”.

Africa, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

Great Green Wall Brings Hope, Greener Pastures to Africa’s Sahel

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article by Issa Sikiti da Silva for the Inter Press Service (reprinted by permission)

Hope, smiles and new vitality seem to be returning slowly but surely in various parts of the Sahel region, where the mighty Sahara Desert has all but ‘eaten’ and degraded huge parts of landscapes, destroying livelihoods and subjecting many communities to extreme poverty.

The unexpected relief has come from the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI), an eight-billion-dollar project launched by the African Union (AU) with the blessing of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the backing of organizations such as the World Bank, the European Union and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).


The icon of GGW shows the path of the Great Green Wall. Credit: greatgreenwall.org

(Editor’s note: The Great Green Wall was initiated by Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Mathai as described in a CPNN article in 2011.)

The Sahara, an area of 3.5 million square miles, is the largest ‘hot’ desert in the world and home to some 70 species of mammals, 90 species of resident birds and 100 species of reptiles, according to DesertUSA.
 
Restoring landscapes

The GGW aims to restore Africa’s degraded landscapes and transform millions of lives in one of the world’s poorest regions. This will be done by, among others, planting a wall of trees in more than 20 countries – westward from Gambia to eastward in Djibouti – over 7,600 km long and 15 km wide across the continent.

The countries include Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Senegal. There is also Algeria, Egypt, Gambia, Eritrea, Somalia, Cameroon, Ghana, Togo and Benin.

Popularity

Elvis Paul Nfor Tangem, AU’s GGWSSI coordinator, told IPS that the project was doing well, gaining popularity and generating many other ideas as the implementation gains momentum.

Tangem also said that the AU had begun working with the Secretariat of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Namibian government for the extension of the GGWSSI concept to the dry lands of the Southern Africa region.

Namibia, which borders South Africa, is located between the Namib and Kalahari deserts. Namib, from which the country draws its name, is believed to be the world’s oldest desert.
 
Largest project ever

If the GGW is indeed extended to Southern Africa, it will take the number of countries drawn to the project to over 20, making it one of the world’s largest projects ever.

Fundraising for beneficiaries countries is being done through bilateral negotiations, as well as through national investments, the AU said.

International partners including the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Sahara and Sahel Observatory (SSO), among others, are also playing a critical role to ensure that the project is being successfully implemented, and upon its completion by 2030 will become the world’s largest living structure and a new Wonder of the World.

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Question for this article:

When you cultivate plants, do you cultivate peace?

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Food security

The GGW is set to create thousands of jobs for those who live along its path and boost food security and resilience to climate change in the Sahel, one of the driest parts of the world, where the FAO said an estimated 29.2 million people are food insecure.

The project founders said that by 2030 the ambition is to restore 100 million hectares of currently degraded land and sequester 250 million tons of carbon.

Asked if the project is being implementing one country after the other, Elvis replied: “The implementation of the initiative is first and famous country-based, meaning all the countries are undertaking implementation at their levels.

“However, the common factor among all the countries is the fact that their activities are based on the Harmonized Regional Strategy and their National Action Plans (NAP). We are supporting the production of the NAP in Cameroon and Ghana and also working on the SADC region.”

Returning home?

In Senegal, a total of 75 direct jobs and 1,800 indirect jobs, including in the nurseries sector and multipurpose gardens, have already been created through the GGW in the last six years, according to official statistics.

Also in Senegal, where desertification has slashed 34% of its area, the GGW has since ‘recovered’ just over 40,000 hectares out of the 817,500 hectares planned for the project.

This is good news for people like Ibrahima Ba and his family who left their homeland to move to Dakar in the quest of greener pastures.

Now, he is contemplating a return home. “I’m planning to go back towards the end of the year to rebuild my shattered life. The Sahara hasn’t done anybody any favor by taking away our livelihood,” Ba, a livestock farmer Peul from northern Senegal, told IPS.

An estimated 300,000 people live in the three provinces crossed by the GGW in Senegal.
 
Participatory approach

However, Marine Gauthier, an environmental expert for the Rights and Resources’ Initiative, (RRI) said a participatory approach was needed if the project was to be implemented successfully.

“In a conflictual region, where people depend on the land for their survival and where there are numerous transhumance activities from herders peoples (Peuls) potentially impacted by the project, a careful participatory approach is needed,” Gauthier said.

“Conflicts have already arisen a couple of years ago with Peuls (herders practicing transhumance, whose travels were to be restrained by the project). Just like any other environmental protection project, its capacity to engage with local communities, to make them first beneficiaries of the project, is the key to its success on the long term.

“Participatory mapping is a very successful tool that has been used within other projects and that could be of great help in defining and establishing the Great Green Wall,” Gauthier said.

Furthermore, Gauthier said empowering communities would be very interesting at the scale of the Great Green Wall. “It would take a lot of efforts, consultations, financial and human resources. It is however the only way to ensure that this project, which people are talking about for more than 10 years now, reaches its goal.

“Because when the communities are empowered and when their rights on the land are secured, it benefits directly to the environment and to preserving this land from more damage.”

(Thank you to Janet Hudgins, the CPNN reporter for this article.)

Africa, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Leading from the Front: Zambia Launches Plant a Million Trees Initiative

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article by Friday Phiri for the Inter Press Service (reprinted by permission)

As global climate experts meet in Bonn this week [May 3] to discuss how to take climate action forward, Zambia counts itself amongst the leaders as President Edgar Lungu officially launches the Plant a Million (PAM) trees Initiative.

In fact, the initiative is even more ambitious than its name implies, and aims at planting at least two billion trees by 2021. According to President Lungu, the initiative is in line with the country’s Seventh National Development Plan whose aim is to diversify the economy from copper dependency.


President Edgar Chagwa Lungu planting a tree while Minister of Lands and Natural Resources looks on. Credit: Munich Advisors Group

President Lungu says the initiative, which targets young people through schools, colleges and universities, will be used as a vehicle for mindset change among Zambians to begin to value the importance of planting trees as a tool for economic diversification.

“This initiative marks the beginning of growing money through trees and government stands ready to support it and ensure that it succeeds,” he said during the launch at Kapasa Makasa University in Muchinga Province, Northern Zambia.

In line with the country’s commitments to international treaties, especially the landmark Paris Agreement on Climate Change, President Lungu said government envisages not only creating a tree-based economy, but also mitigating climate change through the initiative.

He is particularly concerned with the country’s alarming deforestation rate of 276,021 hectares per year, making Zambia one of the most deforested countries in Africa.

“The Plant A Million initiative will significantly contribute to reducing deforestation which has earned Zambia a bad name of being one of the most deforested countries in Africa as a result of uncontrolled harvesting of trees,” he said.

The Zambian president added that he was impressed with the youth involvement model through schools, colleges and universities, saying it will help push the agenda of mindset change because “when our learners appreciate the importance of trees, it will in turn create a positive impact in families and the communities at large.”

Speaking earlier, Higher Education Minister Nkandu Luo said her Ministry would use the initiative to redefine the education system from exam-based to real-world practices.

“Over the years, the thinking in our school system has been that education is passing exams but we are redefining this thinking, so that people know that education is total transformation of a human being, and this programme is one of the ways to do it,” she said.

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Question for this article:

When you cultivate plants, do you cultivate peace?

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As one of the brains behind the initiative, Professor Luo said that Zambia was aiming to break the world record of planting the most trees, which is currently held by India. Last year, Volunteers in India planted more than 66 million trees in just 12 hours in a record-breaking environmental drive.

About 1.5 million people were involved in the huge campaign, in which saplings were placed along the Narmada river in the state of Madhya Pradesh throughout Sunday.

India committed under the Paris Agreement to increasing its forests by five million hectares before 2030 to combat climate change.

“We are aiming to beat the world record, to go above 66 million trees done by India. We aim to plant at least a billion trees by 2019, and another billion plus by 2021; and I am positive that with universities’ involvement, it is doable,” she said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Jean Kapata is optimistic that the initiative will not only add value to people’s livelihoods through income from the sale of fruit and other forest products, but also contribute to the country’s ambitious mitigation targets as set in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).

“As you may be aware, tree planting plays an important role in addressing impacts of climate change, and mitigating effects of climate change. In this regard, the Zambia Plant A Million initiative is also responding to national efforts of reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” she said.

Zambia has undertaken, and is still implementing, several tree planting and preservation projects across the country. Central to such initiatives has been the goodwill of the country’s first president, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, who was a pioneer of tree planting during his time in office.

And according to Emmanuel Chibesakunda, PAM initiator and project manager, the initiative wants to build on this foresight and activism of the 94-year-old freedom fighter and founding father of the nation.

“I am pleased to announce this morning that Dr. Kenneth Kaunda has kindly agreed to be the goodwill ambassador for this initiative,” announced Chibesakunda amid thunderous applause from those who gathered to witness the ceremony in a district which is also home to Dr. Kaunda. “Dr. Kaunda did not only lead our country into independence, but also pioneered tree planting in Zambia.”

Chibesakunda shared his inspiration for the initiative, which he said was from his father who taught him that talent was like a seed which needed to be planted in the right soil to germinate into beautiful fruit. This led to his passion for trees, and especially the involvement of children and young people.

“My father told me that we all have talents, but what matters is where we plant them,” he told the gathering. “And my desire for this project is that we plant the knowledge in the young generation, let us put the future into their hands.”

So far, tree nurseries have been set up at 12 schools in Lusaka, and the project expects to reach 720 schools in the next two years in 60 districts across the country.

(Thank you to Janet Hudgins, the CPNN reporter for this article.)

Africa, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

South Africa: Sisulu – UN Security Council Tenure Will Be Dedicated to Mandela’s Legacy

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article from All Africa

South Africa is honoured and humbled by its election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and will dedicate its tenure to late former president Nelson Mandela, International Relations and Cooperation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said on Saturday.


Lindiwe Sisulu

The election marks the country’s third term on the council, having previously served in 2007/8 and 2011/12.

“Our tenure in the Security Council will be dedicated to the legacy of President Nelson Mandela and his commitment to peace,” Sisulu said in a statement.

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Question related to this article:
 
Where in the world can we find good leadership today?

What is the legacy of Nelson Mandela for us today?

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“In marking his centenary this year, a Summit on Peace will be held on the eve of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly in September.”

Sisulu said the focus would be on promoting the maintenance of international peace and security through advocating for the peaceful settlement of disputes and inclusive dialogue.

“South Africa’s diplomatic efforts over the past two decades include conflict resolution, prevention, mediation, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. We firmly believe that, while we must strengthen the tools at the Security Council’s disposal in addressing conflicts as they arise, the focus should be on preventative diplomacy and on addressing the root causes of conflicts.”

Sisulu said peace could not be achieved without women’s participation in various activities.

“During our tenure, we will ensure that a gender perspective is mainstreamed into all Security Council resolutions in line with UNSC Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security.”Sisulu said they were guided by the African Union’s resolution to ‘Silence the Guns’ by 2020.

“Only when we have peace and a culture of peace, can we have sustainable development and we in Africa need that and resources most. Our energies now have to be directed at the betterment of the lives of our people.”

Africa, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

African Union: Africa’s Peace and Security Landscape by the Year 2023: A Prospective Analysis of Peace and Security Challenges

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article from the African Union

The Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), dedicated its 766th meeting held on 24 April 2018, to an Open Session on the theme: “Africa’s Peace and Security Landscape by the Year 2023 (End of First Ten-Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063): A Prospective Analysis of Peace and Security Challenges”.

Council and participants took note of the opening statement made by the Chairperson of the PSC Chairperson for the month of April 2018, Ambassador Bankole A. Adeoye of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They also took note of the presentations made by the AU Acting Director for Peace and Security, Dr. Admore Mupoki Kambudzi; Dr. Kassim Mohammed Khamis from the AU Directorate for Strategic Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, International Cooperation and Resource Mobilization; the Chief Executive Officer of the African Peer Review Mechanism, Professor Eddy Maloka and Dr. Jakkie Cilliers from the Institute for Security Studies. Council and participants also took note of the statements made by the representatives of AU Member States, Regional Economic Communities, as well as by the representatives of the AU partners, other institutions and organizations;

Council and participants recalled the AU Vision of achieving an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena. They also recalled Agenda 2063, as Africa’s endogenous plan for structural transformation and a shared values strategic framework for inclusive growth and sustainable development in the continent, including its seven aspirations. They recalled in particular aspiration number four on building peaceful and secure Africa. They further recalled the 50thOAU/AU Anniversary Solemn Declaration on Silencing the Guns in Africa by the Year 2020 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) also known as Agenda 2030.

Council and participants acknowledged that most of the violent conflicts and crises facing parts of the African continent are rooted in governance deficits, which include mismanagement of diversity, manipulation of constitutions, marginalization of the youth and mismanagement of natural resources. In this regard, Council and participants urged all Member States to redouble their efforts and improve their governance systems. In the same context, participants underscored the importance of further enhancing the capacity of AU Election Observation Missions, with a view to ensuring that they discharge their mandates professionally and contribute towards ensuring the credibility of elections in Member States and hence preventing election-related violent conflicts and crisis situations. They also underscored the critical role that the Panel of the Wise can play in preventing election-related conflicts in Africa.

Council and participants also acknowledged that although the AU has most of the required normative instruments for preventing conflicts and crises, as well as promoting sustainable peace, security and stability in the continent, some Member States have not yet signed and ratified these instruments. In this regard, Council urged all Member States, which had not yet done so, to urgently sign, ratify and domesticate all AU normative instruments, which among others, include the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance; the OAU Declaration On Principles Governing the Conduct of Democratic Elections in Africa, the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union.

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(Click here for a version of this article in French.)

Question for this article:

Can the African Union help bring a culture of peace to Africa?

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Council and participants underlined the importance of the AU Commission to ensure that the implementation of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the African Governance Architecture (AGA) are harmonized. Within the context of implementation of the AU Master Roadmap of Practical Steps to Silence the Guns in Africa by the Year 2020, Council and they also underlined the importance of enhanced collaboration and cooperation between the AU and the RECs/RMs; the AU and the United Nations; as well as between the AU and similar international entities in the promotion of durable peace, security and stability African. 

Council and Participants emphasized the importance of the PSC to fully discharge its mandate as provided for by the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union.

Council and participants noting the close link between violent conflicts and illegal exploration of natural resources, particularly, the mineral resources, in parts of the African continent, underscored the importance of Member States to put in place effective natural resources management systems, in order to ensure that the proceeds from these resources are not used to fuel conflicts but rather, to benefit the population of the Member States concerned.

Council and participants also noting the direct link between abject poverty and violent conflicts, emphasized the importance of Member States to promote sustainable and balanced economic development programmes, which take into full consideration the needs of the population. In the same context, they encouraged Member States to invest more in modernizing Agriculture, with a view to ensuring food security to the population, and to effectively regulate the mining industries. Furthermore, they emphasized the need for Member States to effectively combat corruption, money laundering and externalization of Africa’s scarce financial resources;

Council and Participants also emphasized the importance of understanding regional dimensions of African conflicts and, hence, the significant contribution that the countries of the region can make in finding lasting solutions to protracted conflicts in Africa. Furthermore, they emphasized the importance of understanding the exogenous factors that drive and fuel violent conflicts in Africa, including the role of multi-national corporations/companies;

Mindful of the close links between some cases of relapses in parts of the African continent and non-implementation of peace agreements, Council and participants emphasized the importance of the signatories of peace agreements in countries emerging from conflict situations to sign and implement those agreements in their letter and spirit, with a view to effectively preventing future relapses. In the same context,  they underscored the importance of engaging constructively with all key political actors in conflict contexts, with a view to ensuring that they develop the necessary political will to end violent conflicts and restore peace, security and stability in their countries;

Council and participants also mindful of the fact that some violent conflicts in parts of the continent are a result of regionalism, ethnic and racial marginalization, encouraged Member States to ensure that the compositions of all State institutions clearly reflect the ethnic and racial compositions of their countries.

Council and participants, mindful of the need to harness the demographic dividend and the potential security threat that can be posed by the unemployed and marginalized youth, underscored the importance of Member States to mainstream youth inclusion in peace processes and to create conducive conditions for youth empowerment.

Council and participants underscored the importance of expediting the operationalization of the African Standby Force, in order to ensure that the Force is readily available at the disposal of the PSC for possible use pursuant to Article 4 (h) of the PSC Protocol and the AU Constitutive Act;

Council and participants underscored the importance of inculcating the culture of peace, unity in diversity, tolerance in education curriculum. In this regard, they encouraged all Member States, RECs/RMs, civil society organizations, the private sector and the international community to ensure that, beyond slogans, they collectively contribute towards the realization of the goal of silencing the guns in Africa by the Year 2020.

Africa, DISARMAMENT & SECURITY

Book review: A Moonless, Starless Sky by Alexis Okeowo

TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY .

A review by The Literary Llama

In A Moonless, Starless Sky Okeowo weaves together four narratives that form a powerful tapestry of modern Africa: a young couple, kidnap victims of Joseph Kony’s LRA; a Mauritanian waging a lonely campaign against modern-day slavery; a women’s basketball team flourishing amid war-torn Somalia; and a vigilante who takes up arms against the extremist group Boko Haram. This debut book by one of America’s most acclaimed young journalists illuminates the inner lives of ordinary people doing the extraordinary–lives that are too often hidden, underreported, or ignored by the rest of the world.

I love non-fiction but there aren’t a lot of non-fiction books that interest me. I’m particular about my choices, mainly the author, because a great subject could be rendered completely boring in the wrong hands. Still, when Hachette offered me a chance to read A MOONLESS, STARLESS SKY, I immediately said yes. The synopsis may be small but the promise of this book was great and I knew I had to give it a chance…and I’m so happy I did.

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Question for this article

Islamic extremism, how should it be opposed?

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A MOONLESS, STARLESS SKY is amazing. Alexis Okeowo did an excellent job with the 4 stories she told of “ordinary women and men fighting extremism in Africa”. The book was split into two sections, the first having the begining of each of the 4 stories and the second having the conclusion (what they are up until the current time) of each of the true tales. Her writing style spoke to me. It flowed and moved and informed without getting too bogged down in historical and/or geographical facts (something that has happened in other non-fiction that I have read). She told us just enough to give us an acurate picture without going overboard into a long-winded text-book like examination. The stories were about the people and Okeowo kept that in focus.
 
There is an amazing diversity between all the different stories. Each one highlighting different races, beliefs, genders, nationalities and how those are treated and perceived and evolving in the different regions. But even with all of those differences there is a cohesiveness. The fight against extremism in all it’s different forms, brings these stories and people together in a way. And it’s eye opening.
 
These are the stories of real people. They are great people and they are flawed people, struggling and yet strong, each victory great and small is worth so much. And the way these victories are accomplished can be hard to understand, simply because we will never live through such situations, but Okeowo tells them with a mixture of fact and empathy that makes all the difference. You see heroes and heroines, the beginnings and middles of violence and resistance, the fight back that may seem like another form of extremism, but through it all are the people who are doing what they feel is right. They are incredible stories.
 
Overall I gave A MOONLESS, STARLESS SKY 4.5 stars, although it was easy to round up in this case. I highly recommend it and hope you connect with the writing the same way I did.

Africa, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

The Gambia: PAG hold peace advocacy camp

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article by Cherno Omar Bobb from The Point

Peace Ambassadors – The Gambia, a youth-led peace advocacy organisation with funding from ChildFund- The Gambia recently held a master camp for recruitment of peace educators and advocates under the theme: Promoting the culture of peace and non-violence in School and communities. The event was held at Banjulinding Lower Basic School.


Photo from PAG facebook

The Master Camp was designed to induct members of PAG on national youth leadership training, recruitment of peace educators and advocates as well as ambassadors peer-peace motivation coordinators training.

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Question for this article:

How do we promote a human rights, peace based education?

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The organisation’s vice president Ida Jatta said since its inception in May 2001, they have been advocating for peace in the minds of young people. “We focus on peace advocacy, community outreach and grassroots engagement to fulfill our thematic obligation as an organisation. We see peace as a continuous process and the leadership training will enable members to serve as role models in communities,” she said.

ChildFund- The Gambia communication specialist Famara Fofana said the international child aid agency have been championing the cause of young people, promoting child welfare and helping vulnerable young people to become productive adults. “Many people we supported are today manning important positions in the country. As peace ambassadors, let us propagate peace messages in the minds of young people.”

Alieu Marr, child protection and advocacy officer of ChildFund also said young people are the productive assets of the society, saying they will continue to support the activities of Peace Ambassadors. “We must have peace of mind in ourselves to promote peace in communities and schools.”

Peace Ambassadors Executive Secretary Yankuba Manjang said they have a role to play as young people to advocate peace in the nation, adding that the master camp will introduce the participants on leadership skills, peace and conflict management.

Africa, EDUCATION FOR PEACE

Young people: actors for peace and national reconciliation in Mali

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An article from UNESCO

“Young Actors for Peace and National Reconciliation” is the title of the joint UNICEF-IOM-UNESCO project. It has been set up to accelerate the implementation of the agreement for peace and reconciliation in Mali (resulting from the Algiers process), through the operationalization of the new mechanism of the Regional Support Teams for National Reconciliation. (ERRNA), as well as through the involvement and empowerment of young people and women, in the implementation of the G5 Sahel Youth Strategy and the fight against cross-border trafficking and exploitation of young people.

So far, most of the peacebuilding projects have been implemented in northern Mali, but today the center of the country also has a great need for conflict prevention and resolution. The project directly targets 2,500 young people, including 900 young women, from 25 communes in the regions of Ségou and Mopti.

The project, officially launched on March 29, 2018 in Bamako, saw the participation of the Minister of Youth and Citizen Construction and Government Spokesperson, the Minister of Digital Economy and Communication, the Secretary General of the Ministry of National Reconciliation and Social Cohesion, MINUSMA, UNESCO, UNICEF and IOM.

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(Click here for the original French version of this article.)

Question(s) related to this article:

Youth initiatives for a culture of peace, How can we ensure they get the attention and funding they deserve?

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There was also the participation of several youth associations including The National Youth Council (NYC), the Youth Association for Active Citizenship and Democracy (AJCAD), the Children’s Parliament of Mali and the Association for the Promotion of Children as Journalists and Communicators (APEJEC).

The participants and the young people, together with the personalities present, emphasized the importance of the dynamics of the culture of peace and social cohesion in order to avoid the risks of conflicts. Mr. Amadou Koita, Minister of Youth and Citizen Construction, and his counterparts in communication and national reconciliation, thanked the technical and financial partners, including MINUSMA, who believed in the capacity of youth to promote peace and social cohesion. They have demonstrated their commitment and support in this project that fits perfectly with the vision of the highest authorities of the State. “My counterparts here and I will accompany you in this noble initiative, because all these actions prepare young people to play their role, which is important, in the implementation of the agreement for peace and national reconciliation. Algiers process, “he stressed.

In her address, Ms. Lucia Elmi, UNICEF Representative in Mali and spokesperson for the three agencies, reminded that the future is about youth, and that it is through young people that can be built a lasting peace. Convinced that through this project, young people will be able to give their opinion and positively influence the search for peace while ensuring the prevention of conflicts, she also stressed that this project will make it possible to popularize the agreement for peace and the national reconciliation resulting from of the Algiers process. Finally, it will add: “by investing in young people, so that they become peacemakers, actors for peace, we guarantee a better future for this country”.

Funded to the tune of 1.4 billion FCFA by the Peacebuilding Fund of the Stabilization and Recovery Section of MINUSMA, this project aims to strengthen the engagement of young people and women in as actors of peace in order to strengthen social cohesion, community dialogue, living together and developing the potential of young people.

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