Category Archives: Africa

Young African Feminists Demand Action From World Leaders Ahead of UN Women Generation Equality Forum in Paris

. WOMEN’S EQUALITY .

A press release from the Nala Feminist Collective (Nalafem)

Twenty six years after the unanimous adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action  as a global agenda for women’s empowerment and gender equality by world leaders including Hilary Rodham Clinton, H.E. Joyce Banda, H.E. Ruth Cardosa and H.E Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, the Nala Feminist Collective (Nalafem); a  Pan African group of 17 young feminists with a mission to foster and mobilize young women from Africa and the diaspora, advocate for Africa Young Women B+25 Manifesto; a groundbreaking political document that sets out ten critical issues of concern for young African women. The manifesto calls on world leaders to scale up action for progressive gender inclusion and will be presented at the upcoming Generation Equality Forum in Paris.

Ahead of the Generation Equality Forum, the Nala Feminist Collective, chaired by Aya Chebbi, will be officially launched at a virtual press conference on Wednesday, June 23rd, 2021 at 2:00PM GMT. The press conference will introduce the 17 young women from across Africa who make up the Nala Council, as well as the outcome of the mobilization achieved for the Africa Young Women B+25 Manifesto, to the public.

Nala Feminist Collective will also be hosting a high-level side event during the GEF Paris Forum  on July 1st, 2021 at 9:20 AM GMT called the “Africa Young Women United for the Decade of Action”. Speakers at this event include  H.E. Filsan Abdulahi; Minister of Women, Children and Youth of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia, Hon. Emma Theophelus; Deputy Minister of Communication, Information and Technology of the Republic of Namibia and Vanessa Nakate; Climate Justice Advocate from Uganda.

According to Aya Chebbi, Chair of the Nala Council, “The manifesto demands progress, not promises, for gender equality. Enough is enough, we are not waiting 108 more years to receive what should already be ours. We will seize the momentum to leave our mark at the Paris Forum in two weeks’ time because generation equality cannot afford to move forward without Africa.”

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Questions for this article

Can the women of Africa lead the continent to peace?

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Aya Chebbi is the chair of the Nala Council who served as the first ever African Union (AU) Special Envoy on Youth and is the youngest diplomat at the Africa Union Commission Chairperson’s Cabinet. In an attempt to bring Young African Women and African Women’s issues closer to the global forum, Aya, in her capacity as AU Special Envoy on Youth, convened over 1,500 young people from across 44 African countries in five regional Barazas  and a Global Intergenerational Dialogue which culminated in the Africa Young Women Beijing+25 Manifesto.

The Manifesto has received groundswell and political support with over 10,000 signatures from young people across Africa and beyond, as well as leaders such as H.E. Mme Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN Women Executive Director who stated that “the Africa Young Women Beijing+25 Manifesto is the part of the actions that we are going to take in Generation Equality as we need African youth energy and dynamism”, H.E. Mme Bineta Diop; the AU Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security, and Amb. Delphine O; Ambassador-at-large and Secretary General for the Generation Equality Forum (Beijing+25), who said “I am impressed by the number of the young women who have participated from 44 Countries, and by the demands. I am glad to see that the demands overlap and contribute to the Action coalitions of Gender Based Violence, the Economic Justice and Rights, and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights”.

This is an opportunity for young women to articulate their concerns and secure a clear and unreserved commitment by the Generation Equality Forum and Action Coalitions Leadership. The Generation Equality Forum is convened by UN Women and will be held in Paris from June 30 to July 2, 2021  to drive urgent action and accountability for gender equality. 

Show support for the progress of young Africa women towards equality by signing the Africa Young Women Beijing+25 Manifesto here, 

Register to attend the press conference here, 

And learn more about the Nala Council Members here.

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About Nala Feminist Collective

Nala Feminist Collective aka Nala is a Pan-African group of 17 feminists with a mission to foster, enable and mobilize young women from Africa and Diaspora, while bridging the gap between policy and implementation, intergovernmental and grassroots, as well as generational spaces. Nala is guided by the Africa Young Women Beijing+25 Manifesto targeting the political, digital and offline spaces, and works in the areas of Advocacy, Research and Fellowships. Learn more about NalaFem by visiting www.nalafem.org  

Africa, United Nations, WOMEN'S EQUALITY,

Involving the African Youth in the Biennale of Luanda!

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article from UNESCO

An Intergenerational Dialogue will open the second edition of the Biennale of Luanda on October 4, and will provide an opportunity for participants to discuss the following theme: “Cultural and heritage diversity of Africa and its Diasporas: firebrand of conflicts or breeding ground for peace?.” 


© Emily Pinna

An Intergenerational Dialogue

150 young people (from all AU countries and the Diaspora) will be invited to take part in this Dialogue. These young people will be selected from among members of National Youth Councils, National Coordinating Bodies of the Pan-African Youth Network for a Culture of Peace (PAYNCOP) and other youth leaders and organizations, through a call for applications. 

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Question related to this article:
 

The Luanda Biennale: What is its contribution to a culture of peace in Africa?

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

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The young participants will discuss with Heads of State and Government, Ministers in charge of Youth / Culture, Commissioners of the AU and Regional Economic Communities in charge of Youth, representatives of the United Nations, international organizations and technical and financial partners invited to the Biennale. 

An Online Dialogue!

In addition to these 150 selected young people, other young people will also participate virtually from their respective countries; decentralized participation, scaled up through digital platforms such as social networks, will be facilitated by UNESCO Field Offices, AU Liaison Offices, National Commissions for UNESCO, in partnership with Universities and Schools, digital campuses of the University Agency of the Francophonie, French Institutes and any other interested structure or entity. 
 
In connection with the Theme of the year of the African Union, the participants will assess the state of peace and security through the prism of the coexistence of multiple cultural identities of Africa; and, secondly, to question the relationship of young people to their culture and how they build their cultural identity in their relationship to otherness.  

The selection campaign of the candidates will open on 30 June 2021!

Africa, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

Mali National Restitution Conference: Women propose possible solutions

. WOMEN’S EQUALITY .

An article from Mali Web

The national restitution conference “Palabre trees of Timbuktu and Gao” was held on June 15 in the banquet hall of the Bamako International Conference Center in the presence of eminent personalities like the former Prime Minister Modibo Sidibé. The participants made several recommendations such as the redeployment of the army in all regions of the North, breaking with the feeling of abandonment of the population of the North, the re-reading of the Algiers accord and national reconciliation. They were more than a hundred women from the north, some of whom are on their first trip to the capital.


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The National Restitution conference is an initiative of the Africa, Caribbean, Europe Council Mali Cabinet (ACE Conseil-Mali) with the technical and financial support of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Mission for the Stabilization of Mali (MINUSMA). It is the pilot phase of ‘a project called “Palabre trees when the women of Mali take the floor”.

The concept “Arbres à Palabre” is an original idea based on a citizen and participatory action research approach by the women of Mali. The initiative, which now lays the groundwork for a return to lasting peace and cohesion, has a dual objective:

– to restore and make available to all participants the diagnosis of the Mali situation by women in the regions;

– and to give a voice to the representatives of women from the municipalities for the implementation of structuring projects for local community development.

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(Click here for the original French version)

Questions for this article

Can the women of Africa lead the continent to peace?

Can a culture of peace be achieved in Africa through local indigenous training and participation?

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Based on the function of social mediation of African palabre, the experimental device “Palabre Trees” aims to promote:

– the promotion of women’s political participation and the implementation of the National Action Plan of the Resolution 1325 (2000) and related from the United Nations Security Council on Women, Peace and Security;

– the effective participation of Malians in the process of prevention, mediation, conflict resolution, consolidation and promotion of the culture of peace at the national, regional and local level

– and finally support for the empowerment of women and their full participation to the management of the city as a citizen.

The initiative places women at the heart of crisis exit strategies

According to Mrs. Coumba Traoré, Director of ACE Conseil Mali, initiator of this National Restitution conference, this “Palabres trees” project is an action-research in favor of the effective participation of Malian women in the process of prevention, mediation, settlement of conflicts, consolidation and promotion of a culture of peace at national, regional and local level.

“Our country is sick and there are simple solutions today for the country to heal these wounds. We must go out to meet women, give them a voice so that they can make concrete proposals for exiting the crisis, “said Ms. Coumba Traoré.

For the head of the Gender Unit of the gender division of MINUSMA, Ms. Catherine Andela, the presence of all these women from various backgrounds symbolizes their dedication to the cause of the homeland and especially their commitment to peace and stability, pledge of development. “The positioning of women must first start from the base to influence the electoral process and the palaver tree is a formidable initiative which today participates in the consolidation of peace and living together”, she said. highlighted.

Ms. Diarra Fatoumata Touré, representative of the Minister of State Refoundation, in charge of relations with institutions, fully appreciated this initiative. She said “This initiative by ACE Conseil Mali and its partners places women at the heart of the various crisis exit strategies. Nowadays, it helps to pave the way for a way out of the crisis towards lasting peace.”

Ms. Bintou Djitteye is one of the participants at this conference. She came from Bourem to preach the word of peace. She thanked the director of ACE Conseil Mali for this initiative which allows women to talk about their concerns in the search for peace. She testifies that her children are Arabs even though she is of the Bambara ethnicity. The problem in the north, Ms. Bintou Djitteye explained, is not ethnic but rather economic with a lack of basic social services. According to her, there is a lack of water and above all a lack of support for local initiatives.

The participants made several recommendations for the redeployment of the army in all regions

Africa, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

Conference on the culture of peace in young people hosted by HEC-CHAD

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article by Mbaïnaissem Gédéon in Al Wihda Info

Amphi-Chine served as the framework for the interactive conference, “The involvement of young people in the preservation of culture of peace in Chad”. The objective was to make young students understand the essential role of peace and the culture of peace. Following ideas expressed by students regarding peace, the speakers emphasized that peace is the acceptance of others, peace being the foundation or the basis of life in society. It is a behavior and a culture. Having love for one’s neighbor, living together, peaceful cohabitation, social cohesion are among the topics discussed during this interactive conference.

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

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Question 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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The president of the United Nations association of Chad, Mahamat Silim Moustapha, the members of the Koisé association, Mahamat Alboukhari, Ousman Thiam, Hamza Ahmat Abrass, took turns explaining to the students, the importance and the role of peace in a society, especially in Chad. For them, in the current situation that the country is going through, the culture of peace is essential, especially in student circles for the development of the country.

Chad’s stability and social cohesion is a very relevant issue that everyone must understand. That said, living in peace is the best thing a family wants in the world. “Peace is not only the absence of wars, but also behavior,” said conference speaker Dr Hamid AZAZ. The example was given in countries which live in peace. They are now the host countries for migrants from around the world.

Conflicts maintained on social networks, and which fuel hatred, must be opposed by students. We have to bury the hatchet and build our country Chad, because it needs a new face, a new generation, and this new generation and new vision is you, the students. You are the future executives and ambassadors for peace, ”the speakers concluded. The president of the organizing committee, Wardougou Moussa Abdelkader, on behalf of the students of HEC-TCHAD, thanked the United Nations association of Chad, for the initiative, and pleaded for the sustainability of this theme.

Africa, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

Mali: Festi Petit – a 3rd Edition Full of Surprise

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article by  Mohamed Kanouté in Mali 24 (translation by CPNN)

It was in a festive atmosphere that the 3rd Edition of the festival called Festi Petit, an initiative of Alagria Event and its partners, opened this Friday, May 14, 2021 at the Salamatou Maiga Sports Palace.

Objective: To instill in children the culture of peace, acceptance of the other and unity in its diversity because children are the future of this country. Also to arouse curiosity in children while developing their intelligence through attractive games.

The Festival was attended by communal authorities, local administrative authorities of commune IV of the district of Bamako and cultural actors.

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(Click here for the French version of this article)

Question related to this article:

 

Can festivals help create peace at the community level?

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A place of meeting, exchange and entertainment of all kinds between children, this third edition, which will last three days, has kept all its promises in terms of mobilization.

In a festive atmosphere tinged with cries of joy, children test their knowledge and intellectual capacity in attractive games to the delight of the parents who accompany them.

According to the director of the Festival Ms. Adam Samaké, Alagria Event launched the festival in 2018 as part of the development of their activities in favor of children.

“It is a festival dedicated to children without distinction with a blend of gastronomic entertainment and culture. The culture of peace, acceptance of others and unity in its diversity is our goal, because the future of the country depends on children,” she explained.

According to her, “Mali is currently going through a crisis which is shaking the very foundations of the country, and children today face the harmful consequences of this crisis, hence the idea for us to organize this festival to allow people you to recreate themselves and forget certain difficulties at least for a while ”

She also expressed the wish to perpetuate this initiative and especially to extend to children who are in the regions.

Africa, DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

Think African Podcast Episode 1: Planting Seeds

. WOMEN’S EQUALITY .

A podcast from African Arguments

African Arguments is delighted to partner with the Think African podcast series, created by Sound Africa.


Click here for podcast

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Question for this article

Can the women of Africa lead the continent to peace?

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Think African examines the big questions that define the world from an unapologetically African point of view. It is platform on which African thinkers can critically engage with contentious, fraught and messy conversations, and grapple with the complexities of the continent’s history and present. Episodes are released twice a month and are hosted by Jedi Ramalapa, Editor in Chief of Sound Africa.

The inaugural season of Think African is inspired by Nobel Prize Winner Wangari Maathai’s political philosophy, which she likened to a traditional African stool, comprising a seat and three legs. First leg: Inclusive Democracy. Second leg: Sustainability. Third leg: ” a culture of peace”; fairness, respect, compassion, forgiveness, recompense and justice.

The first episode features Kenyan climate change activist Elizabeth Wathuti. She is the founder of the Green Generation Initiative, which nurtures young people to be environmentally conscious from a young age and has planted 30,000 tree seedlings in Kenya.

Africa, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

UNESCO supports 5 Youth-led Early Warning and Response Mechanisms for peacebuilding within 5 councils in Cameroon

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article from UNESCO

Young persons are usually the primary victims of violent extremism and conflict. When violence sets in, young girls and boys begin to live in fear, their dreams fall apart – they cannot have a decent education, turnover in their businesses fall, job opportunities diminish, food prices increase, the cost of transport skyrocket, etc. Rather than living positive lives and fulfilling their dreams, they are unfortunately compelled to join fighting factions and terrorist groups.

As part of efforts contributing to the prevention of violent extremism, five exemplary young leaders of youth-led organizations have stepped up to the challenge by implementing Early Warning, and Early Response (EWER) mechanisms to conflict within five councils in Cameroon – Buea City Council, Douala IV Council, Babadjou Council, Kye-Ossi Council, and Maroua I Council.

These young leaders include- Christian Achaleke of Local Youth Corner (LOYOC), Loic Atangana Nkulu of the Pan-African Network for a Culture of Peace (PAYNCOP), Brice Nisebang of the Cameroon National Youth Council (NYC), Paul Bernard Noah of “G-54 Afrique Avenir” and Gladys Tchegoue of Dynamique Mondiale des Jeunes (DMJ). Other youth leaders equally participated in this initiative such as Desmond Ngala of Rog Agency for Open Culture, Stephane Mebonde of Accord Parfait and Ramatu Abdou of the Association for the Welfare of Women and Indigenous Persons (ASOWWIP).

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Question 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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Youth-led early warning and response mechanisms consist of building dialogue and trust between youth and local administrative, traditional, and religious authorities as well as forces of law and order and women community leaders as a means of preventing conflicts from triggering or escalating.

UNESCO, through the Peacebuilding Fund, is providing technical guidance and financial support to these young leaders as well as facilitating their interaction and credibility vis-à-vis the competent authorities.

Feedback from authorities has been high. For instance, Mrs. Akawoh Minerva epse Molinge, 1st deputy Mayor of Buea council welcomed this initiative and commended the youth leaders for proactively tackling the issue of violence in the community.

Mr. HAPPI DE NGUIAMBA Joseph Victorien, Divisional Officer of Kye-Ossi underscored the pertinence of the initiative for Kye-Ossi, which as a border town hosts diverse populations from Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea. Ensuring peaceful co-existence of peoples is a daily effort for its authorities he stressed.

Adama Illyassa, an Imam in Maroua, and Samadel Kaskam, an evangelical pastor in the same city gracefully integrated the Task Force of the early warning and response mechanism and are committed to building trust and peaceful co-existence between natives and internally displaced persons in Maroua. Maroua is home to several persons fleeing the devastating effect of terrorism perpetrated by Boko Haram in the Far North Region and in such conditions, the social integration of IDPs in the community is not always a smooth process.

Youth-led early warning mechanisms transform perceptions on young persons. They portray youths as responsible, solution providers, concerned, and proactive about preventing violence in their communities, stakeholders to engage for durable peace to be achieved.

Early warning mechanisms are an organized framework for community dialogue and peaceful living together led by young persons. UNESCO in collaboration with authorities and other partners will continue to support these mechanisms and scale them countrywide, beyond the 5 pilot councils for the preservation of peaceful coexistence in Cameroon.

Africa, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

Pan-African Youth Network for the Culture of Peace: General Assembly

. TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article by Jerry Bibang, special to CPNN

The Pan-African Youth Network for the Culture of Peace (PAYNCOP) organized an ordinary general assembly from April 10 to 11, 2021. The conference took place by video.

This meeting, which brought together nearly forty participants from different African countries, enabled PAYNCOP to renew its Board of Directors, the executive body of the network.

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

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Question 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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Composed of ten people, the new team is made up of a president, Romilson de BE Silveira, from Sao-tomé, a vice-president, Yannick AGBOKA Koffi, from Togo, a Permanent Secretary, Jerry Bibang, Gabonese, and 9 regional coordinators plus a representative of the diaspora.

Opening the work of this meeting, Eric Volibi, Unesco Representative in Gabon, encouraged young people to engage in the promotion of the culture of peace, and he invited them to plan future activities in partnership with Unesco. These include the Luanda Biennale, scheduled for September 2021, and the Young Weavers for Peace project which concerns Gabon, Cameroon and Chad.

In addition to the renewal of the management team, the participants also looked at various points, including the assessment of activities, challenges and difficulties before identifying prospects for the smooth running of the organization.

Regarding the review of activities, the Central Africa, North Africa and West Africa regions presented their work which was appreciated by the participants.

Among the challenges and difficulties, we note the need for legal recognition of the various national coordinations in order to give PAYNCOP an official status of international organization and the economic empowerment of the organization, which essentially involves two main means: contributions from member coordinations and mobilization of funding from partners.

Africa, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

Angola: Luanda Biennial Strengthens Culture of Peace

FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

An article from the Angola Press Agency

Angola has reiterated the 2nd Luanda Biennial’s commitment to strengthening of the climate of peace in Africa.

This was expressed by Secretary of State for International Cooperation and Angolan Communities, Domingos Vieira Lopes, on Tuesday.

Focus on a culture of peace is also aimed at creating conditions to attract more foreign private investment to the continent, said the Angolan diplomat.

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Question related to this article:

The Luanda Biennale: What is its contribution to a culture of peace in Africa?

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Speaking  at the opening of the seminar on “The role of Angolan diplomacy in promoting a culture of peace”. Domingos Vieira Lopes defended the need to intensify investment and industrialisation in the continent to enhance the main export products.

However,  he appealed for the support and participation of the member states of the African Union in the Pan-African Forum,  in order to deepen knowledge about continental reality.

The diplomat said the online seminar served to reflect on the experience acquired through the peace and reconciliation process in Angola, after 19 years.

The meeting also aimed at sharing ideas on the best way to contribute to the preservation of peace.

As for the ongoing preparations for the 2nd edition of the Luanda Biennial, scheduled for next September, the Itinerant Ambassador and coordinator of the National Management Committee for the Biennial in the Angolan capital, Diekumpuna Sita José, said that the concept of a culture of peace has to do with change.

He added that the fundamental objective of African leaders is to achieve long lasting conciliation.

Africa, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Senegal: “Ethnic remarks”: the Platform of Women for Peace in Casamance calls for “serenity”

. WOMEN’S EQUALITY .

An article from Press Afrik

The members of the Platform of Women for Peace in Casamance (PFPC), meeting on March 25, 2021, deplore the ethnic comments made by some people in the country. According to them, “the social climate in Senegal is increasingly harmful because of these words and tendencies with connotations” dangerous and never known in the history of our Nation. The members of this platform call for serenity and social stability in the country.

“Our nation is characterized by a multiethnicity which, instead of being a source of division, is a richness and a pledge of a symbiosis, a harmony, a mutual respect. The joking cousin is the real social cement that unites the Serer to Pulaar, Diatta Ndiaye to Diop, the game of fraternal alliances which banishes any hostility between Diola and Serer. Respect for the other in his difference are in the process of being dangerously put to the test, ”said the members of the Platform of Women for Peace in Casamance in a statement made public.

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(Click here for the original French version)

Questions for this article

Can the women of Africa lead the continent to peace?

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They add: “These pillars of social stability, woven for millennia between ethnic groups, have always reduced tensions and possible crises are automatically and socially attenuated. Our nation has always known how to overcome its crises together as one people, with purpose and faith ”.

According to members of the platform, for some time now, comments that weaken these pillars have been made from north to south of the country. “A disrespectful speech of the other, which discredits and minimizes his neighbor because of his ethnicity. And even worse, we are witnessing a pitched battle between identity associations which once owed each other protection and mutual respect,” they added.

Continuing, the members of the PFPC express their deep dismay at the multiplication of divisive speeches and conflicting ethno-geographic actions recorded in recent days in the press and by certain politicians. According to them, this kind of speech and behavior is a source of hatred, seriously endangering human security, peace and national unity.

The PFPC condemns the resurgence of socio-ethnic and socio-political tendencies. They urge the State of Senegal and all voice carriers to curb these ethno-psychological tendencies by putting in place functional mechanisms for strengthening social dialogue and good practices in terms of a culture of peace, of socio-cultural and politico-religious coexistence.

The members of the Platform of Women for Peace in Casamance call on political actors, opinion leaders and members of the press to make and disseminate positive, constructive and peaceful speeches.

Africa, WOMEN'S EQUALITY