The Upper East Regional Peace Council has organised a two-day capacity-building workshop for assembly members and unit committees in the Builsa South District to build resilience against violent extremism.
The members, drawn from various electoral areas in the district, were taken through the concept of conflict and violent extremism, early warning signs, the impact of violent extremism on economic activities, and the Land Act.
The training formed part of the Atlantic Corridor Project aimed at contributing to efforts to address the drivers of radicalisation leading to violent extremism while strengthening the capacity of communities to respond and resist such threats and build social cohesion.
It also focused on enhancing early warnings and response mechanisms, strengthening socio-economic resilience among the community leaders, and promoting alternative counter-narratives to combat hate speech that promotes violence and violence extremism in target communities.
The engagement with the assembly members and unit committees received funding from the government of Norway through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Mr Ali Anankpieng, the Executive Secretary of the Upper East Regional Peace Council, addressing the stakeholders at the Builsa South District Assembly, indicated that violent extremism was not limited to one gender, religious group, or race, and given the complexity of it, the understanding of community leaders on the concept of violent extremism was crucial to addressing some of the conflicts that may arise.
“Just because there are activities of violent extremists in neighbouring Burkina Faso, Mali, or Niger does not mean violent extremism would necessarily come from there; it can emanate from our communities without coming from these countries, and that is the more reason attention must be paid to addressing conflicts before they escalate into violence,” he added.
Mr Ananpieng emphasised that more often than not, assembly members and unit committees were confronted with diverse issues, including land disputes, often catalyzing conflict, and their understanding of the framework governing land use and rights in the community was crucial to guiding their members to seek redress at appropriate avenues.
He expressed appreciation to donor partners including the governments of Denmark, Germany, and Australia for their support for the implementation of the project.
Mr Abdul Rashid Alhassan, Assistant District Director of Builsa South and representative of the District Chief Executive at the workshop said the Assembly was concerned about the security situation of the district, and the training given to the assembly members and unit committees was worth commending.
He emphasised that as part of measures to maintain peace in the upcoming elections, the District Election Task Force was reactivated to ensure peace before, during, and after the election and called on political parties to ensure a violence-free election.
Mr Mathias Anyuisah Akandesiok, the Assemblyman of the Kajarga Electoral Area, said, “The training has been revealing as it has empowered me to help manage conflicts and prevent violent extremism in my community, and I will ensure this knowledge gained extends to others.”
He added, “My own brother, who is a trained nurse, has been radicalised, and for two years now we don’t know his whereabouts.” He sent us a voicemail claiming to be abroad and will return someday, and we are devastated as a family. I think if I had this knowledge much earlier, I would have detected his sudden change of behaviour before his departure, and so we are grateful for this training.”
Madam Eunice Alienka, Unit Committee member of Sikasa Electoral Area, said the training by the Peace Council had equipped her to help prevent activities of violent extremism and offer advice to members of her community on appropriate avenues they could seek redress on their land disputes.
By: Gilbert Azeem Tiroog | Contributor
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