.. DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION ..

An article from Independent Online

Cape Town – Mother-of-five Georgina Fabrick, a community activist, lives in a very violent area in Bonteheuwel close to a drug den. Against all odds, she remains committed to presenting her sons with the best possible opportunities to rise above the gang violence and horrifying murder statistics devastating communities on the Cape Flats.

Having listened to a former Ugandan child soldier, Benson Lugwar, 24, recount how he has turned his life around after being forced to maim, murder and pillage, Fabrick has renewed hope. 

This was at Wednesday’s launch of the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative’s (WPDI) Youth Peacemaker Network project on the Cape Flats.

The 45 youths taking part in a five-year private-public partnership to promote peace and sustainable development on the Cape Flats. Photo: Louis Neethling

The 49-year-old Fabrick, who is acting as a consultant and assisted in the interview process to select 45 local mentors from across the Cape Flats – referred to as a “trainer of trainees”, who will receive training for a year – said: “What I heard today has most definitely given me hope for the Cape Flats. 

“I was sceptical at first but I can see that in a very short space of time, they have achieved something.

“I’ve had enough of local NPOs and other organisations coming into our communities, getting the funding and making no difference at all, and within two months they are gone.”

The WPDI is the brainchild of Unesco special envoy for peace Forest Whitaker, an iconic Hollywood actor and director who has been inspired by the legacy of Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. 

The Cape Flats programme is a five-year private-public partnership with global bank BNP Paribas and consumer finance business RCS.

It promotes peace and sustainable development on the Cape Flats by training young men and women to fulfil the roles of peacemakers and entrepreneurs in their communities.

Since its establishment in 2012, the WPDI has partnered with young community leaders from the southern region of South Sudan, Tijuana in Mexico, Northern Uganda and parts of the US, positively impacting more than 300 000 people living in some of the most violent communities in the world.

With such high levels of unemployment, becoming a gangster is the choice many youths make either out of fear, for economic reasons or to boost their social status.

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How important is community development for a culture of peace?

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“At the moment the gangsters are the role models and we need to change that mindset. If we are going to change anything about the communities, we need to change the mindset,” said single mother Fabrick.

“My belief is that if you take something away, replace it with something. If you take the gangsters away, replace it with something positive. Tell them there are other options out there.

“Maybe it’s time for someone looking in from the outside like WPDI to come in and do something. I was amazed recently to find out how many organisations are out there actively receiving funding in Bonteheuwel, yet our community is still suffering.”

Lugwar, 24,  who runs his own micro-lending business,   is a WPDI trainer of trainees and still studying, said: “I was forcefully abducted in 2002 by the Lord Resistant Army in Uganda on my way to school when I was eight years old. I stayed in the bush for three years.

“I used to live in violence which is worse than what people are experiencing in Cape Town. I was caned and threatened with death if I didn’t kill, burn houses, cut off people’s ears and noses, beat and rob people.”

When he returned home on escaping, he discovered all his relatives and his father were killed, moving in with his mother after he had undergone trauma counselling. In 2017, his life took a significant turn for the better when he joined the WPDI.

“I learned so many things about conflict resolution, life and business skills, information and communications technology. It brought a lot of change and I started reprogramming how I saw things.

“After that one-year internship training, I became more empathetic towards people and their situations. Seventy-five percent of the people in my community have been affected by war, but WPDI has helped bring young women and men together to bring about change in our environment.

“What is needed is the collective responsibility of all community leaders and organisations to bring about peace.

“Training in life and business skills help give the youth focus because they might be committing crime because they have no money and are trying to survive.

“When we fix the mind, create awareness and show them how to be creative to generate an income, that’s when things can change.”

The WDI believes it can help incentivise the youth of Cape Town, who have the “potential to become active vectors of positive transformation”. 

This will be done, among others, by instilling a culture of peace through community dialogues as well as courses in conflict resolution in schools on the Cape Flats. The trainers of trainees will educate 350 people from communities across the Cape Flats to become social development ambassadors.

The  WPDI  will provide their trainers with resources to develop educational projects and small businesses, building resilience and increased opportunities. 

Their Community Learning Centre in Athlone will provide a hub where the youth and residents can attend courses and use computers.

The WPDI is set on empowering the youth on the Cape Flats and emboldening them with the courage to believe their destiny isn’t fixed – it’s in their own hands.

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article from Abidjan.net

The Abbot Jacques Kouassi, Priest of the Diocese of Yamoussoukro, during the panels that punctuated this Tuesday, August 13, the first session of the work of the National Symposium of Religious Leaders, Kings and Traditional Chiefs for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence, wondered if politicians in Ivory Coast want peace or only power?

It is under the banner of “Conflict Management and Reconciliation in Côte d’Ivoire” that religious leaders, kings and traditional leaders have worked out their roles and responsibilities for effective use of inter-ethnic alliances in the resolution of community and/or political conflicts.

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

How should elections be organized in a true democracy?

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As a contribution, Father Jacques Kouassi took the opportunity to sound the alarm by asking his peers to carry out an analysis of what needs to be done for the good of everyone and not that of a political party.

Faced with the recomposition of the Independent Electoral Commission adopted by parliamentarians and challenged by the Ivorian opposition, he invites kings and traditional leaders to pass judgment on this to avoid the mistakes of the past.

“Without passion, let’s think about it because that’s how it starts. We religious leaders, we are going to talk, but are those who must listen, are they ready to listen? Many of us want to speak, but we must speak not to take sides but for the good of Côte d’Ivoire, “says Father Jacques Kouassi.

Reacting to the ambition of this panel to set up a conflict resolution committee to inform the state authorities, he regretted the fact that in Africa in general and particularly in Côte d’Ivoire, the authorities find it difficult to distinguish between the resources of the state and those of their political party.

He asked if the authorities would be ready to settle conflicts without bias when knowing that it involves ​​his political adversary?

“I asked myself to know, do the politicians really want peace or only want power? Do politicians in Ivory Coast want peace or seek power? ”

He says he asks himself this question constantly, without having an answer.

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .

An article by Omoniyi Salaudeen from Sun News Online

Worried by the previous experience of violence and electoral malfeasance in Bayelsa State, concerned stakeholders under the auspices of the Ijaw Elders’ Forum on Wednesday, July 31 converged on Yenagoa. They were there to brainstorm on the peaceful way to achieving a free, fair and credible governorship poll slated for November 16. 

Rear Admiral Jonah (Rtd), addressing participants

The conference, with the theme: Peaceful and Credible Governorship Election and Good Governance in Bayelsa State: Building Consensus Through The Ijaw Charter and IJaw Nation Code of Ethics, Leadership and Governance, drew participants from across all walks of life, including the diplomatic corps, political parties and the aspirants. The event was just for one thing: non-violent and credible election.

Flowing from the tune of the discussion at the conference, no one was left in doubt as to the imperative of the urgent need to change the narrative about Bayelsa being perceived as a violence-prone state. All participants unanimously condemned violence in whatever form as a means of aspiring for leadership position.

The guest speaker, Dr Austin Tam George, in his paper entitled: ‘Electoral Violence and Superstition of Power,’ aptly captured the essence of the sensitization workshop. In his presentation, he outlined some of the factors that promote electoral violence. These include contempt for people, lack of confidence in the electoral process, culture of impunity as well as lack of compelling message, among others. He described the entrenched culture of impunity as the greatest danger to democracy, blaming the worrisome trend on absence of deterrence. “Without prosecution of those involved in violence during election, this culture of impunity will not stop. And it endangers democracy. What we have now is democracy without the people. Electoral violence can only produce mediocrity. There can be no visionary leadership where election is characterized by violence. There can no transparency and accountability from leaders who emerge through violence. Electoral violence diminishes everyone,” he posited.

The Chairman of the event, King Bubraye Dakolo, traditional ruler and Ebenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom, set the tone for discussion in his earlier opening address. He urged all aspirants to eschew violence during and after the election, adding that anyone found to instigate violence should be ex-communicated.
“An election is about brain and not about gun. Let the game be a peaceful one. I will also like to suggest that all aspirants should be made to take an oath that they will not encourage violence and anyone who encourages violence should be ex-communicated,” he stated.

The deputy governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah, who commended the organisers of the conference for the peace initiative, in turn charged the traditional rulers to ensure that the message of peace is taken to the grassroots. He also used the occasion to call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be fair to all.

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“Where an election is not free and fair, there will always be a reaction and you cannot predict the reaction,” he noted.

The Secretary of the IEF, Mr. Efiye Bribena, told the audience that the international community had expressed its strong support for the peace initiative, promising to sanction anyone involved in violence during the election.

“The global community is interested in the election coming up in November. They are partnering with us to have a free and credible election. Their absence in today’s event is due to security reports. They have called in to apologise for the unavoidable absence and expressed the readiness to sanction anyone involved in violence,” he said.

A major feature of the event was the signing and affirmation of non-violence agreement by the governorship aspirants as a demonstration of their commitment to a peaceful and credible election.
Signatories to the agreement included the Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (retd) (People’s Democratic Party- PDP), Dr. F. Erepamo Osaisai, Kemela Okara, Mrs Diseye Nsim Poweigha (All Progressives Congress- APC), Speaker of the House of Assembly, Tonye Isenah and Eneyi Zidougha, chairman, Inter Party Advisory Council.

The conference, which was a follow up to the earlier workshop held in May, aimed at building an enduring culture of peace and tolerance from the top to the grassroots. The Chairman, BoT, G24 Embasara Foundation and former Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Arch Amagbe Denzil Kentebe, speaking with the reporter on the sidelines of the event, assured that the initiative would be sustained beyond the election period.

His words: “We have been having radio programmes where we are talking directly to Bayelsans.  Everybody in one way or the other is trying to disseminate this information. This agitation for violence is coming from the top. And that is why we are targeting political actors to make them agree to a peaceful process. The good thing about getting the politicians, who are always the culprits, together is to make them affirm that they will not be violent-prone.

“Violence comes in when someone doesn’t have something to offer. It is a very expensive programme that we have. And don’t forget we are doing it from our own personal contributions because we believe that if there is no violence during election in Bayelsa State, we will have the best of leadership. And the best of leadership will always ensure great development. What we are trying to do is to change the narrative.”

The peace conference was a collaborative effort of Ijaw Elders’ Forum, Lagos State chapter, Ijaw Professionals Association (IPA), Ijaw Nation Forum, G24 Embasara Foundation and Ijaw Women Connect Worldwide, Diplomatic Corp, Centre for Democracy (CDD) and Ijaw Nation Development Group (INDG).
Dignitaries in attendance at the occasion included: Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (retd), King Bubraye Dakolo, Gen. Paul Toun – Chairman, Board of Trustees, Ijaw Professionals Association, Dr. Austin Tam-George – Fmr. Hon. Commissioner of Information, Rivers State, Barr. Efiye Bribena – Secretary, Ijaw Elders Forum, Lagos, Rt. Hon. Tonye E. Isena – Speaker, Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Barr. Iniruo Wills – Co-convener of Embassara Foundation,  and Denzil Amagbe Kentebe – Chairman, Board of Trustees, Embassara Foundation.