The five-day workshop brought
together 64 community leaders from the five sub divisions that make up Donga
Mantung Division. The workshop was organized by African Justice for Peace
Association in partnership with the United Nations Development Program. According
to Abanda Marcel, Chief Executive Officer of AJA the project is aimed at
promoting social and Economic Cohesion in Donga Mantung Division,
Harping on the
partnership with UNDP, Abanda Marcel disclosed that the project has established
and distributed 100 birth certificates to Internally Displaced Persons and the
needy in society. He added that the project is expected to empower citizens and
reinforce institutions in order to enhance social cohesion and peacebuilding.
Addressing participants
during the opening ceremony, the Divisional Officer for Nkambe Central, Ngida
Lawrence Che reminded stakeholders that peace doesn’t necessarily means the
absence of war and expressed gratitude to UNDP and AJA for their contribution
to peacebuilding in communities. He used the opportunity to call on
participants to be ambassadors of peace in their various communities and
villages after the training.
Although it is a challenging
task but the 64 peacebuilders are expected to be innovative by leaving behind
old habits and embrace socialization. This according to the trainers implies
that they need to adopt an approach that is very different from the previous
ways they were living in their villages or communities. Their new approach, it should be recalled will consist
of establishing good relationships with everyone, learning more about their
communities or village’s history, and taking action to deal with conflict as a
budding stage.
Participants were told that whenever
a problem arises in their community, they should engage in dialogue with an
open mind and the real will to listen to others.
Only then will they be able to understand each other and build bridges. “Change
cannot happen and peace cannot be established if people are unable
to communicate with others; to listen to their experiences and views
and show empathy, understanding and compassion”. Aristotle says that “it
is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without
accepting it”. Implicitly, the prerequisite for a peacebuilder is to preach and
practice tolerance and above all build a culture of tolerance in others.
During the five days,
participants were drilled on topics such as: defining conflicts, perspectives
of conflict, observing conflict. Identifying conflict styles, practicing
conflict analysis, responding to conflict, nonverbal conflict, characteristics
of peacebuilders, peace builder in action, peacebuilders in action etc etc.
Talking to this reporter, the
fon of Nkambe, HRH Fon Ibrahim Japfu Nfor, said he has learned new skills in
conflict resolutions that will go a way to enable him solve problems whenever
the need arises. He thanked UNDP and AJA for empowering them.
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| DO for Nkambe Central |
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| Fon of Nkambe and CEO of AJA |
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