WANEP Activities in March 2007

MARCH 2007 HIGHLIGHTS

WANEP HOLDS CONSULTATIONS WITH ECOWAS
The major highlight during the month of March 2007 was two rounds of consultations organized by ECOWAS and WANEP for Government and Civil Society focal point persons for peace and conflict monitoring in West Africa. The first consultation was organized from the 19th to 20th March in Dakar for the monitors of zone one and two comprising Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. The second consultation brought together the monitors of zones three and four in Accra from 27th to 28th March 2007. The countries in these zones include Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo and Benin. It was the first time the monitors from Governments and civil society was meeting. Apart from getting to know one another, they were introduced to the key components of the ECOWAS early warning system now called “ECOWARN”. The importance of this program in the West Africa sub-region was highlighted while an appraisal of the system and the likely challenges that may impact on its efficiency were discussed. The stage has been set for the final round of the training of monitors to begin in April. WANEP staff led by the Executive Director and Liaison at ECOWAS and ECOWAS staff led by the Director of the Observation and Monitoring Centre (OMC) and the Systems Manager at the OMC attended and facilitated these round table meetings.

ECOWAS and WANEP staff with Government and Civil Society (WANEP) Focal Point persons at the Dakar workshop

A working session during the Accra workshop

CONFERENCE ON PROMOTING HUMAN SECURITY: From March 5-6, 2007, WANEP participated in a conference jointly organized by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in Pretoria, South Africa. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss a draft paper on “Promoting Human Security: Ethical, Normative and Educational Frameworks in Africa”; discuss human security initiatives in the region; and identify priorities and challenges for human security in Africa. WANEP was invited to make a presentation of its human security initiatives in West Africa. A lengthy brainstorming session and discussions ensued and participants came up with a solid outline for the finale draft.

AFRICA HUMAN SECURITY INITIATIVE MEETING IN NAIROBI, KENYA: WANEP attended the launching of the second phase of the Africa Human Security Initiative (AHSI2) at the offices of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Nairobi, Kenya on March 9, 2007 following a two-day partnership meeting. Funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), the ASHI project is spearheaded by ISS together with a network of six founding-partners organization: West African Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA), South African Institute for International Affairs (SAIIA), Southern Africa Human Rights Trust (SAHRIT), Africa Security Dialogue and Research (ASDR) and African Peace Forum (APFO).
The raison d’être of the ASHI project (www.africanreview.org) is to create a network of African non-governmental research organizations that could collectively make a constructive contribution to the New Economic Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) by measuring the performance and compliance of key African countries on the commitments made at OAU/AU Heads of State level to promote human security. The first phase of the ASHI project ended with the publication of six monographs on six thematic areas benchmarking the performance of eight countries in Africa. WANEP’s publication benchmarked civil society engagement in these countries.
On the heels of the successful completion of the first phase, ASHI 2 seeks to focus on the criminal justice system in selected countries identified for APRM review within the broader framework of human security in Africa.

Consultative Meeting with the University for Peace: From March 28 to 29, 2007, WANEP participated in a consultative meeting organized by the UPeace Africa Program in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The meeting gathered Universities and scholars throughout Africa, the Regional Economics Groups, and major Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) throughout Africa to discuss UPeace’s collaboration with its various partners. Part of the discussion also focused on enhancing effective collaboration between Researchers and CSOs. WANEP made a presentation on its experience on outreach and wide mobilization for peace in Africa. Solid recommendations were made to further enhance multi-level, multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholders collaborations for peace in Africa.

NPI-Africa and WANEP Partnership on Transitional Justice Experiences in Africa: WANEP in collaboration with the Nairobi Peace Initiative-Africa (NPI) is leading a research on transitional justice experiences in Africa. The main goal of the research is to understand transitional justice experiences in Africa and why there is a rise of the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions as a model in post conflict societies in Africa. The research will attempt to understand the implications and lessons learned for the TRC model. The two organizations met in Nairobi, from March 10-12, 2007 to frame the research methodologies. The Lead Researchers for East and West Africa are currently in the field conducting the research.

FROM THE NATIONAL NETWORKS

BENIN: In partnership with CRS Benin, WANEP Benin facilitated from 1st to 3rd March 2007 a workshop on inter-faith dialogue in the northern town of Parakou-Benin. This first experience in Benin brought together 25 participants from various faiths and religious groups. They discussed the importance of inter faith dialogue as an important intervention strategy for sustaining peace in Benin. At the end of the workshop, participants created an interim working committee to follow up on their recommendations.

WANEP Benin supported one of its member organization DHPD (Droits de l’Homme Paix et Developpement) to observe and monitor parliamentary election all over the country in implementing the project EVEIL with financial support from the Danish Government. From 9th to 31st March 2007, the electoral process was observed and appraised by 72 observers. Although most of the political campaigning was peaceful and transparent, news of the attack on the Presidential convoy of President Yayi Boni and the violence observed on the eve of the elections in Porto-Novo sent shivers round the country. Consolidating peace in Benin is critical to consolidating democratic gains

GHANA: At the country level in Ghana, the network continues to undertake activities of expansion to the other regions of Ghana. In March, the national network coordinator traveled to Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo region from the 21st to the 24th to train members of the network on tools of conflict analyses and transformation to augment their peacebuilding practices and to strengthen their capacities for engaging on the conflicts of the region. Also, the leadership of the Bole District Assembly in the Northern region within the month was trained on tools of conflict analyses and resource based conflict management to enhance their skills in transforming resource based conflicts associated with the management of their district.
Another activity was a review meeting of stakeholder group in Kumasi with Muslim leaders. In 2006 WANEP Ghana facilitated a non-violence and peacebuilding workshop with support from the British High Commission in Ghana to enhance the capacity of the leadership of the Muslim communities in Kumasi to be able to dialogue and engage on the various conflict issues in their communities. The review meeting was to appraise the impact of the peacebuilding activities in the communities and suggest priority activities for the next six months.

Group discussion

GAMBIA: At the invitation of the US Embassy in the Gambia, the National Network Coordinator participated in a 2-week Senior Leaders Seminar organized by the African Centre for Strategic Studies in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The seminar brought together top cadres from the military, police, government, academia, research institutions and civil society organizations. Prominent among the issues discussed was civilians and military/government relationship.
Importantly also, WANEP-The Gambia-led a CSO Coalition to participate in an Advisory Council meeting to share experiences and lessons learned of the voter education and election observation conducted during the January 2007 National Assembly elections and to further plan for the coming Local Government elections slated for January 2008.
Within its small arms project, WANEP-The Gambia initiated community development projects in the Koina Ward in exchange for arms voluntarily surrendered as a result of the extensive sensitization campaigns undertaken over the past two years. The community development projects consist of skills center, milling and grinding machines and a community pump for the provision of clean water. These development projects will be unveiled in April at a symbolic destruction ceremony of the arms that were voluntarily surrendered to raise awareness about the issues of the proliferation of small arms in the sub-region.

LIBERIA: Under its Community Education Investment Program (CEIP), WANEP Liberia has recruited and enrolled into private and public schools over 500 children who were associated with fighting forces in Grand Gedeh, Lofa, and Sinoe Counties. A border monitoring program has also been established to protect these children against cross border recruitment and trafficking.

After all efforts geared at resolving the parliamentary crisis in Liberia failed, the program of the Women in Peacebuilding Network (WIPNET) led a critical intervention by engaging the parties involved – the Speaker and renegade law makers - and finally succeeded in bringing them together at the Unity Conference Center in Virginia, where they are currently conducting official legislative functions. The Speaker resigned few days later.

COTE D’IVOIRE: WANEP in Cote D’Ivoire completed a strategic plan during the month of March and held its Annual General Meeting during which the Strategic Plan was discussed and adopted. At the invitation of the Spanish Government, the National Network Coordinator, Madam Maguerite Yoli-Bi travelled to Spain from the 6th to 9th March to participate in a seminar organized by the Government of Spain to commemorate the International Day of Women. An important outcome of this seminar was the establishment of a Network of African and Spanish women to working mutually in promoting and advocating for Women rights and gender equity. WANEP Cote D’Ivoire during the Month of March also launched a community education project on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 in 10 major towns from 10 regions in Cote D’Ivoire with financial support from Mama Cash.
TOGO: WANEP in Togo is pursuing a non-violence campaign at the national level towards the key objective of minimizing violence in up-coming legislative elections scheduled for June. The entire WANEP Network during this month expressed its solidarity and profound sympathies to Madame Claudine Ahianyo who lost her Mother and cousin in the same month

GUINEA: In Guinea, WANEP undertook an important exercise of revamping the network. With support from the regional secretariat, a strategic plan was developed. A new National Network Coordinator Karamo Cherif was recruited to replace Alimou Diallo who moved to the regional secretariat. These activities of internal re-organization were timely as they re-positioned WANEP Guinea to respond to challenges of increasing violence at national level. WANEP entered into an agreement referenced Number 1217 MATD/CAB/SACCO with the Government of Guinea through the Ministries of Internal Affairs and Territorial Administration in regards the critical but important impartial Civil Society intervention to promote peace in Guine.

NIGERIA: As part of its effort towards establishing partnership with the government and private sector for effective disaster management in Nigeria, WANEP-Nigeria organized a national conference at Chelsea Hotel, Abuja from March 13 – 14, 2007. In line with the theme of the conference which is “Civil Society/Government Partnership for Disaster Reduction in Nigeria”, options and directions for risk reduction and collaborative responses between civil society and government were discussed.
The two day conference was divided into four sessions of paper presentations, group discussions and brainstorm exercises. Institutions/organizations that presented papers include the Nigerian Red Cross Society, United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF), ECOWAS, BOABAB for Women’s Rights, MTN Foundation and the Emir of Wase. These sessions were chaired by representatives from Nigerian Television Authority, National Emergency Management Agency, Action Aid International Nigeria and Impact for Change while the Director General of NEMA delivered a goodwill message.
Participants to the conference were drawn from various levels of government and civil society which include traditional rulers, International Non Governmental Organizations, local Non Governmental and Community Based Organizations, various government agencies, the Nigeria army and police, the media and private institutions.
The conference further enhanced the commitment of NEMA to partner with the Network towards ensuring civil society involvement in addressing complex humanitarian emergencies during disasters across the six geo political zones of Nigeria. At the end of the conference, a communiqué was developed by participants on the best direction for civil society/government partnership for disaster management in Nigeria.

From Left, the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Air Vice Marshal Audu-Bida (rtd), the Director of Treasury and Finance- WANEP-Nigeria, Mrs. Naomi Akpan-Ita and the National Network Coordinator, WANEP-Nigeria, Mr. Chukwuemeka B. Eze at the venue of the conference

SIERRA LEONE: WANEP-Sierra Leone led a civil society consortium to meet with the twelve-man visiting commissioners of the UN Peace Building Commission at the United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) Headquarters, Mammy Yoko Hotel, Aberdeen in Freetown. Head of the visiting commissioners, the Netherlands’ Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Frank Majoor said that their visit was based on the fact that the commission wanted to know about the PBC process in order to provide them with an opportunity to have first hand information on issues considered to be critical to peace and security, suggestions and comments coming from civil society in the country. Issues discussed among others were youth employment, the pending Presidential and Parliamentary Elections, security and judicial reforms, gender issues, entrenched laws in the constitution that militate against women and civil society’s role in monitoring the disbursement and utilization of the Peace Building Fund (PBF).
Peace and Development Forum (PaD Forum): The West Africa Network for Peacebuilding - Sierra Leone (WANEP-SL) and Partners in Conflict Transformation (PICOT) organized a two-day National Peace and Development Forum (PaD Forum) for Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) drawn from the various regions in Sierra Leone, on the 1st and 2nd March 2007 at the Madam Woki Conference Hall in Bo. Among other things discussed were the ongoing voter registration exercise and other issues of the electioneering process that are critical to peace; some of which has characterized the political landscape in the country. After critical analysis done on the strengths and challenges the Voter Registration Exercise, recommendations were formulated and submitted to the National Electoral Commission.
One Hundred Community Based Early Warning Monitors trained and deployed in the Kambia District, North of Sierra Leone: An early warning and early response project supported by CRS/SL is has taken off successfully. Under the project, four trainers together with the Early Warning Program Officer were trained and they are now training two hundred (200) community-based early warning monitors in four chiefdoms in the Kambia and Pujehun Districts of Sierra Leone.
One hundred (100) community monitors and elders were earlier trained in Kambia District, Northern Province. These monitors are expected to monitor cross border activities and community related issues which may pose a potential threat to peace in border areas. The tasks of the monitors include the collection of information on cross border trade activities (smuggling, movement of arms etc.) as well as the movement of people in and out of border communities. Analysis of the information collected within the communities will be shared with partners and member organizations. The national secretariat of WANEP-SL will undertake quality control of and make analysis of reports before engaging policy makers through meetings, press briefings etc.