By Alpha Abu
With the General Elections barely eight weeks away, the need for a peaceful process has seen the Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion (ICPNC) with support from partners embark on conflict prevention training for Members of Parliament (MPs), Chiefs and representatives of various community- based groups.
The training which took place over the weekend at the Brookfields Hotel, Freetown ,focused on issues such as ‘conflict resolution and alternative dispute resolution skills’, ‘understanding the context, emerging trends and causes of political disputes in Sierra Leone’, and ‘emerging threats to peaceful coexistence and national cohesion in community’.
Participants were also trained on ‘dialogue and alternative skills for conflict resolution and peace’, and the factors responsible for a conflict becoming violent.The various forms of conflict were also discussed including intra-group and inter group conflicts.
The trainees said they expect at the end to be able to tackle the problem of fake news and serve as role models in preaching and fostering peace in their communities.
Representing the Speaker of Parliament, MP for Constituency 64, Sella Limba Chiefdom, Karene District, Dr. Roland Kargbo explained the essential nature of peace which he said everyone must propagate for the good of the country.
He praised ICPNC and international partners for the training exercise and implored all trainees to contribute in strengthening peace in Sierra Leone.
ICPNC Executive Secretary Hawa Samai was especially pleased to have the MPs involved in the training. Addressing the participants, she said the absence of peace would make it impossible to have elections.
‘’Our goal is to have you all become Ambassadors of Peace in your homes, communities and we should guard the peace of country jealously’’, madam Samai implored.
She said only when peace exists that a government can undertake development projects, and people are able to extend friendship with others. She encouraged all to be open-minded during the training and at the end help in transmitting messages of peace.
She also mentioned the work of the peace commission’s Situation Room, which is up and running, and equipped with staff that would respond to callers not just in English but also in the local languages.
On the commission’s networking across the country, she stated that the institution has a minimum of 10 Peace Mediators in every district and a minimum of 25 Peace Monitors per district who capture incidences and report them to the appropriate channels within the commission.
She then spoke about the commission’s ‘’I Stand For Peace’’ nationwide event to be held on Saturday 29th April. The Western Area will see a float parade by commercial bike and rickshaw (Keke) riders up to Upgun, from where joggers will join and then team -up with others around the Cotton Tree for the onward procession to the Aberdeen Beach where various performances will be showcased. Stakeholders are expected to make peace commitments.Madam Samai said all should put on white and no party colour for the event.
German Cooperation GIZ in Abuja Nigeria, the ECOWAS Peace and Security Architecture Project and EU provided support to the commission for the training.
The trainees were at the end of the exercise taken on a conducted tour of the Peace Museum located within the former Special Court facility, along Jomo Kenyatta Road, Freetown near the Brookfields hotel where the training took place.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (24/04/23)
