Category Archives: Africa

Lesotho: Is 2019 a year of peace in our schools as peaceful school model takes shape?

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article from Development for Peace Education

“Students’ enthusiasm in learning has been unleashed by peaceful school model”. This was said by teachers at Fusi and Hareeng teachers at the plenary session organised by Development for Peace Education in Maseru on the 11th December 2018. They shared how the students took a lead on different activities they were assigned responsibility on.


Molefi Pakiso teacher at Fusi Secondary, Senekane Community Council  in Berea shared his excitement “ through the effectiveness of  sports minister the school is now engaging on sports activities unlike the past years….”..

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Question for this article:

Where is peace education taking place?

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Madam Joalane Sekoati from Hareeng High School said she was amazed by one of the campaigners who used teachers’ dodging of classes as his promise message. “one of the students who campaigned for the position of education minister stated that he is going to ensure that a teacher who may miss his/her lessons will pay for those lessons missed…… that  made every teacher to attend lessons to avoid further embarrassment ….”. She said.

A total of 12 schools in the 8 DPE areas are ready to have students’ elections in the first quarter of 2019. This shall be preceded by leadership orientation on peaceful school model that shall take teachers and principals including those not directly involved.This shall make all DPE areas have functional peaceful school models. It is anticipated that schools will deal better with conflicts and employ peaceful strategies to address problems. Involving students positively will enhance school performance. The baseline study on how these schools deal with conflict and how students are allowed and enabled to participate in the creation of peaceful learning environment is underway. It shall be used against what would have been achieved in the next 18 months. This initiative is proudly supported by Bread for the World.       

Africa, EDUCATION FOR PEACE

Angola: Culture ministry analyzes programme of Luanda Biennal

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An article from Agência Angola Press

The Ministry of Culture analyzed on Friday in Luanda, aspects concerning the preparation of the Biennale of Luanda , a Pan-African Forum for Culture of Peace to kick off in the second fortnight this year.


Angola and UNESCO sign agreement for Luanda Biennal

The meeting, in which the national coordinator of the biennale was introduced, Alexandra Aparício, discussed issues related to the programme of the event to be held in the ambit of the agreement signed by Angola and UNESCO in December 18 of 2018 in Paris.

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(Click here for the Portuguese version of this article.)

Question related to this article:

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

Will UNESCO once again play a role in the culture of peace?

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For the execution of the activities slated for the biennale, the Culture minister, Carolina Cerqueira, stressed the need for the involvement of all sectors of the society, mainly the staff of the sector, representative of the civil society, artists, writers, associations, cultural groups, show makers and journalists.  

The programme can also include discussions on the role of young people to combat corruption and woman’s protection against domestic violence, resolution of conflicts and the challenges to bolster dialogue and friendship amongst peoples.
 
The holding of the Biennale of Luanda shows the political willingness of the Angolan government to establish a closer cooperation with UNESCO, with view to promoting a true culture of peace in Africa and represents the recognition of the country’s example of strengthening peace and national reconciliation.  
 
The event will also count on the support of the African Union.

Africa, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION

Togo: Young people in West Africa trained in Lomé for conflict prevention

EDUCATION FOR PEACE .

An article by Bernard Yao Adzorgenu in L.frii

“Gender and responsible citizenship in youth circles for peace in West Africa”: this is the theme that, since 22 January 2019 in Lomé, has brought together some one hundred young people from nine countries in the sub-region .

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

Question for this article:

Where is peace education taking place?

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For four days, these young people will be equipped to work collectively in the West African region to reduce of conflicts and to bring peace.

The training will include conflict prevention and the culture of peace, civic democracy, the notion of female leadership in the African context, etc.

“It’s about empowering these leaders to work collectively in the region to reduce conflict, in line with UN Security Council Resolutions 2250 and 1325. These conflicts affect especilly young people and women,” said Edoward Pilewa Karoue, President of the International Catholic Students Movement (IMCS).

The countries represented are Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo.

Africa, EDUCATION FOR PEACE

Nigeria: National Council for Arts & Culture moves for peaceful elections

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article by Osa Mbonu in Vanguard

Critical stakeholders and indeed all Nigerians have been encouraged to embrace the long tested culture of peace during and after the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

This admonition was given by a collective assemblage of relevant stakeholders who converged at the headquarters of the National Council for Arts and Culture in Abuja to preach the message of peace as Nigeria prepares for 2019 elections.


Director-General (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe

Leading the call for peace, Director-General (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe charged everyone to maintain the culture of peace and brotherliness that Nigerians have been known for from time immemorial.

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Question related to this article:

How should elections be organized in a true democracy?

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Runsewe gave the advice while addressing major interested parties like the Independent National Electoral Commission, National Council of Women Society, National Youth Council, traditional leaders, NGOs, the media, security agencies and the international community.

Speaking further, Runsewe appealed to other agencies to join the NCAC as it enjoins all Nigerians especially the youths to remain peaceful as the country goes into an election year noting that Nigerians have always been peace loving people irrespective of ethnic or political leanings.

Also adding his voice to the call for peace was the chairman of the occasion, Maj-Gen I. B. M. Haruna (rtd) who reminded everyone that the peace accord for 2015 elections has also been adopted for 2019 and should be adhered to by all players.

He extolled the NCAC for leading the call for peace agreeing that peace is a major part of Nigeria’s culture even from historical perspectives.

On his part, the Executive Director, news of the Nigerian Television Authority, Baba Barau expressed his delight with the NCAC for fulfilling its mandate with a timely initiative like the peace program affirming that Nigerians from all divides will continue to coexist in harmony notwithstanding the outcome of the 2019 elections.

The Peace Program with the theme: Building a culture of peace towards 2019 elections, was organized at the instance of NCAC with the aim of sensitizing Nigerians on the need to maintain peace before, during and after next year’s elections.

Africa, DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

Ethiopian President Calls to Work for Peace and Security

. .DISARMAMENT & SECURITY. .

An article from Prensa Latina

December 24: The president of Ethiopia, Sahlework Zewde, called to work for unity, peace, and stability that the country needs today to guarantee security and welfare of all citizens.

We must work together so that each person is protected by laws, and can exercise their rights and perform their duties because those are fundamental bases for democracy and the development of our nation, she said.

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Question for this article:

Can peace be achieved between Ethiopia and Eritrea?

Do women have a special role to play in the peace movement?

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We have several problems related to this and we must solve them soon, she emphasized in a meeting with Mother Ambassadors for Peace, a group composed of representatives of nine regional states and two municipal administrations.

According to Fana Broadcasting Corporate, Zewde said that the population has an unlimited desire to live in a peaceful situation, ‘and the people itself, with our cooperation, must work for the defense of peace, as the Ambassadors preach.’ 

Also, I praise this group that during the last 30 days toured the country with the aim of detecting deficiencies and propose actions to solve them.

Women have the ability to solve critical problems, and they would play an important role in resolving conflicts and bringing peace and security, she assured.

Africa, DISARMAMENT & SECURITY, WOMEN'S EQUALITY

UNESCO and Angola to establish Biennale of Luanda, a Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace

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An article from UNESCO

Carolina Cerqueira, Minister of Culture of Angola, and Firmin Edouard Matoko, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Priority Africa and External Relation, today [December 18] signed an agreement for the creation of the Biennale of Luanda – Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace, whose first edition will take place in September 2019.


Carolina Cerqueira, center, and Firmin Edouard Matoko, right

The Luanda Biennale, organized through a partnership between the Government of Angola, UNESCO and the African Union, is designed to promote the prevention of violence and the resolution of conflicts by facilitating cultural exchanges in Africa, inter-generational dialogue and gender equality. The Forum is to nurture reflection and facilitate the dissemination of artistic works, ideas and knowledge pertaining to the culture of peace. It will bring together representatives of governments, civil society, the arts, sciences and international organizations.

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

Question related to this article:

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

Will UNESCO once again play a role in the culture of peace?

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“It is very gratifying for Angola to host the Biennale because my country knows the value of peace. With the help of the African Union and of civil society organizations, we will be in a position to establish strong links of solidarity and brotherhood between the old and the young so that they may dream of a prosperous and peaceful Africa, which will only come to be if we work together,” the Minister declared at the signing ceremony. On that occasion, he also thanked all who made this agreement possible, notably UNESCO.

“The agreement is very important for UNESCO as it will allow us to carry out a project we initiated a few years ago to organize a culture of peace festival, notably with the support of the African Union,” declared UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Priority Africa and External Relation. “We believe in the future of this project and its ability to contribute to the transformation of the African continent,” he added.

The Biennale is part of UNESCO’s operational strategy for Priority Africa (2014-2021) which aims to provide “explicitly African responses to the changes at work in African economies and societies.”

The first Biennale of Luanda, in 2019, will be four-pronged: It will serve as a space for reflexion, or intellectual forum, on the future of Africa, as a Festival of Cultures to showcase the cultural diversity of African countries and the African diaspora enabling them to demonstrate their resilience in the face of conflict and violence. It will also feature international cultural and sport events; and encourage the mobilization of partners to support projects throughout the continent.

Africa, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, United Nations

Niamey, Niger: The 2nd ECOWAS forum on education for the culture of peace

TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY .

An article by Souleymane Yahaya forr Le Sahel (Translation by CPNN)

The work of the 2nd ECOWAS forum on peace education through intra- and inter-religious dialogue began yesterday morning [November 14] in Niamey. For two days, the participants will seek mechanisms for dialogue between the religious communities of ECOWAS in order to cultivate the spirit of tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

This 2nd edition of the forum co-organized by the Republic of Niger and ECOWAS is sponsored by the Archbishop of Niamey, Monsignor Djalwana Laurent Lompo, Emir of Kano, His Highness Lamido Sanusi II and Mogho Naba Baongho, King of Mossis . It is the Prime Minister, Head of Government Mr. Brigi Rafini who presided over the official opening of the works.

In his welcome, the Governor of Niamey, Mr. Hassane Issaka Karanta thanked the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for the confidence placed once again in Niger, and in the city of Niamey in particular, to host the work of the forum. He affirmed that, thanks to the daily work of the regional committee of intra and inter religious dialogue and the efforts of the regional religious and administrative authorities, the different religious communities of Niamey live in perfect symbiosis. The Governor of Niamey added that our African states must “focus their efforts on this important segment of our population that is youth. Niger, like other ECOWAS countries, has a young population that is increasingly exposed to extremism of all kinds.

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

Question related to this article:
 
How can different faiths work together for understanding and harmony?

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The Commissioner for Education, Science and Culture of ECOWAS has shown, in figures, the worrying development of violent extremism in four countries of the sub-region. For Mr. Leopoldo Amado, the presence of the Emir of Kano, as well as that of the Archbishop of Niamey and the Representative of Mogho Naba, at this work, shows the will of the peoples of the Community to live together for peace, tolerance and development of the entire region. Indeed, the contribution of religious leaders and actors to peace is decisive for West Africa, which is facing the rise of religious radicalism and intolerance which are, alas, threats to this region and its region. stability. “ECOWAS is committed to producing solutions to the issues of terrorism and conflict in the region through a number of legal and practical commitments,” said the Commissioner for Education, Science and Culture. ECOWAS, Mr. Leopoldo Amado.

In their interventions, the Archbishop of Niamey, Monsignor Djalwana Laurent Lompo, the Amir of Kano, His Highness Lamido Sanusi II and the Mogho Naba of Burkina Faso, Chief Baongho, King of the Mossis, have all underlined the importance of youth in intra and inter religious dialogue in our states. These sponsors of the 2nd ECOWAS forum on peace education through intra- and inter-religious dialogue, have strongly reaffirmed their common desire, on behalf of their respective communities, to work more for the promotion of living together. They finally called on young people to refrain from any kind of obscurantism, religious or other.

The organization of this forum materializes the commitment of ECOWAS which is part of preventive actions against radicalism and conflicts through a dynamic of search for peace and fight against the sources of terrorism. The end of the official ceremony was sanctioned by a photo of Prime Minister Brigi Rafini with young people from all ECOWAS countries attending the forum.

Africa, TOLERANCE & SOLIDARITY

The 815th meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council: Report of the Commission on Elections in Africa

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article from Relief Web (translation by CPNN)

The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 815th meeting held on 4 December 2018, adopted the following decision on the report of the Commission on Elections in Africa:

The board,
1. Takes note of the presentation by the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, HE Ms. Minata Samate Cessouma, of the report of the African Elections Commission on the twelve (12) national elections held from January to November 2018, namely: in Djibouti, Sierra Leone, Egypt, Mali, Zimbabwe, Mauritania, Rwanda, Eswatini, Gabon, Cameroon, Sao Tome and Principe and Madagascar. The Council also takes note of the communications on the forthcoming elections of December 2018, in particular in Madagascar (second round of presidential elections), Togo and the DRC, as well as on the three elections scheduled for the first quarter of 2019 (Nigeria, Senegal and Benign). The Council further notes the statements of Mauritania, Madagascar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Egypt and Gabon;

2. Reaffirms its commitment to endorse the process of democratization on the continent, in accordance with the relevant AU instruments, in particular the Constitutive Act, the Protocol for the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union as well as the Charter of Democracy, Elections and Governance;

3. Stresses once again the crucial nature of proactive action and preventive diplomacy aimed at combating all forms of election-related violence, early warning and conflict prevention. In this regard, the Council reiterates the central role of credible elections in the consolidation of peace and democracy, bearing in mind that failures, irregularities and bad practices in electoral processes are key factors in election-related violence in Africa;

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

Question related to this article:

How should elections be organized in a true democracy?

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

4. Commends all the Member States that have successfully organized peaceful elections and encourages those who have not yet held their own elections to draw on good practices already observed in other Member States. The Council further encourages all Member States to continue to take appropriate measures to ensure the credibility and legitimacy of their results, inter alia, through an effective and transparent voter registration process, civic education based on inclusion, diversity management, tolerance and the culture of peace, and reiterates the importance of using legal channels to resolve election-related challenges;

5. Stresses the need for strong constitutional, institutional and legal frameworks to establish a strong foundation for electoral governance and administration. In this regard, the Council reiterates the AU’s call for Member States to continue their efforts to strengthen the National Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) in Africa, as well as their institutional capacities, with a view to help them fulfill their mandate and build their capacity to better deal with pre- and post-election tensions and disputes;

6. Reaffirms the need to strengthen citizens’ participation in electoral and democratic processes, through appropriate mechanisms encouraging citizens to take part in elections. In the same context, the Council recognizes the central role of political parties in electoral and democratic processes and calls on Member States to strengthen their institutional framework, in order to allow wider and more inclusive political participation in electoral processes and risk reduction. election-related violence;

7. Reiterates its appeal to Member States to take appropriate measures to strengthen gender equality and women’s empowerment through electoral and democratic processes;

8. Encourages the Commission, through appropriate channels, to share with the Member States concerned the results and recommendations of the Election Observation Missions with a view to contributing to their capacity to conduct electoral processes;

9. Calls on all AU Member States, which have not yet done so, to sign, ratify, integrate into their legislation and implement the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance;

10. Decides to remain actively engaged with the matter.
 

Africa, DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION

Central African Republic: Bangui opens training workshop on mediation and conflict resolution

… EDUCATION FOR PEACE …

An article from Agence Centafricaine de Presse (translation by CPNN)

The vice-rector of the University of Bangui, Olga Yongo, opened on Monday, December 10, 2018 in Bangui, a training workshop on mediation and conflict resolution for students of the University.


View of training participants

Vice-Rector Olga Yongo explained that this seminar, which runs from December 10th to 14th, inaugurates a vast training program on intercultural dialogue at the University of Bangui.

(click here for the French version)

Question for this article:

Mediation as a tool for nonviolence and culture of peace

She emphasized that the aim of this workshop is to strengthen the role of participants in promoting a culture of dialogue and peace based on the principles dialogue, mediation, conflict resolution and the spread of a culture of peace.

She encouraged the participants to take the greatest benefit from the presence of high-level local trainers among them, and she was convinced, given the relevance of the themes and the quality of the programmed communications, that the results of this work would live up to their expectations.

“I can not end my remarks without expressing my gratitude to the Regional Director of the Central Africa and Great Lakes Office of the Francophone University Agency (AUF), who put the technical, financial and intellectual resources at the disposal of the organization of this seminar,” she continued.

The Vice-Rector also expressed her thanks to all those who agreed to participate in the seminar and to make a contribution to the promotion of peace.

The Head of the Francophone Digital Campus, Anicet Doumous, for his part, indicated that the AUF, with regard to axis 9 of its strategic plan 2017-2021, decided to organize the training workshop in collaboration with the University of Bangui.

Africa, EDUCATION FOR PEACE

Southern Sudanese leaders agree to promote a culture of peace

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An article in Arabic from Radio Tavazuj (translated by Google)

A number of civil leaders from across southern Sudan have agreed to work to promote unity, preaching peace and renouncing hate speech to promote peace, in accordance with the peace agreement.

Sixty local leaders from Upper Nile, Bahr El Ghazal and Equatorial Regions held a three-day meeting last week in the state of the Yai River to discuss how to implement the peace agreement.

In a statement received by Tamazog Radio, the workshop’s Cebu organization said that the aim of the workshop is to strengthen the capacity of the civil leadership and civil society organizations in the peace-building process.

Question related to this article:

 

Can peace be achieved in South Sudan?

Sultan Qwai, representative of the Upper Nile region, told Radio Tamazaj that the workshop added new skills on peace signed by the parties recently. “Let’s come together and start a new life with peace,” he said.

Sultan Mtour Abaj, from Bahr al-Ghazal province, pledged to spread peace, peaceful coexistence and unity in order to ease the trauma suffered by the people of southern Sudan during the war.

Ayak Deng, from the Abyei region, called on tribal leaders in southern Sudan to work for peaceful coexistence. “Let’s show love and unity among us and fight tribalism and we will not let each other out,” she said.

The Minister of Gender and Social Welfare of the State of Yay, Christina Annette, thanked Cebu and its partners for organizing a workshop of local leaders from sultans and activists from all over southern Sudan to discuss peace issues.

The minister called for efforts to promote peace-building in conflict-affected rural areas of the state of the River Yai, indicating that the state government is working hard to restore peace and stability so that peace partners can reach rural areas.

Africa, FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION, Mideast,