The Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Ghana has held a learning workshop in Accra on interreligious and intergenerational peacebuilding in Northern Ghana.
The learning workshop, which was a collaboration with the United States Institute of Peace and the Center for Conflict Transformation and Peace Studies, brought together national-level stakeholders to deliberate on the findings and recommendations of the research to be validated at a similar event in Tamale and Bolgatanga.
During the research presentation, the key findings included the lack of economic incentives being the main reasons why women and youth did not participate in peacebuilding activities and community leaders limiting participation in peacebuilding events to delegates or leaders of established community groups.
The research also found that religious leaders maintained a high capacity to organize youth-centred programmes which brought young people together for peacebuilding and activism despite ethnic and historical conflicts, hence, for this to be effective, it was important for these leaders to remain apolitical and also have institutionalized structures for engaging the youth.
Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu, the spokesperson for the National Chief Imam, who shared his thoughts on some of the recommendations of the research, stated that where there was so much poverty, marginalization and idealness, the tendency for anyone to mobilize the youth to get involved in any form of conflicts and violence was very possible.
He said when this happens, both Christians, Muslims and traditionalists who live in that particular area are affected because schools are shut down, hospitals are closed and no economic activity takes place because everyone lives in constant fear.
Sheikh Shaibu advised that young people needed to be taught the skills of dialogue and negotiation in solving their issues instead of resorting to violence.
The country representative of Catholic Relief Services Ghana, Daniel Mumuni expressed the hope that the results of the research would inform policies and programmes to enhance peacebuilding in our various communities.
Edem Agblevor, ISD
