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From January 19-22, 2009, WANEP held its tenth annual general meeting
(AGM) and tenth anniversary of its existence as a fully functional
network. In his welcome remarks during the formal launch of the
celebrations, the outgoing Board Chairperson, Reverend Professor
Emmanuel Anyambod Anya (Rector of the Protestant University of Cameroon)
lauded the vision of the founding fathers of WANEP. Reverend Anyambod
affirmed that ten years of continuous and
uninterrupted service in the life of an organization is something worth
celebrating, especially in a context where initiatives are conceived
today and die the next day. While acknowledging the difficulties the
organization went through in its ten years journey, he disclosed that
WANEP emerged a strong and resilient organization. In the face of a
threatening world economic depression, the WANEP Board Chair challenged
the corporate and business world especially those operating in
Africa to begin seeing themselves as peacebuilding partners and support
indigenous institutions like WANEP.
On his part, the Executive Director of WANEP (and one of the founding
fathers) welcomed the networks and appreciated their commitment,
devotion, perseverance and professionalism during the ten years of
WANEP’s history. He paid tribute to past and present staff of WANEP and
encouraged them to remain committed to the vision and goals of WANEP
despite the challenges. Messages of goodwill came from partner
organisations based in Ghana. A keynote address was delivered by Mr
William Awinador-Kanyirige, Director, Africa and AU Bureau (and
immediate past Chief of Staff to the President of the ECOWAS
Commission), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ghana recognized the ten years
of WANEP’s peace work in the sub-region. He particularly saluted the
successful and trail-blazing strategic partnership with ECOWAS in
strengthening the latter’s capacity in early warning conflict
prevention. Stressing that civil society organisations (CSOs) like WANEP
are bona fide, Mr Awinador challenged WANEP and likeminded CSOs
to rise up and take their rightful positions already guaranteed by the
various ECOWAS provisions and multiple entry points both at national and
regional levels.
Constitution of New Board
An important outcome of the 2009 AGM was the constitution of a new
Board. This was a culmination of a process that started in the context
of the WANEP restructuring more than two years ago. The process of
collecting nominations towards the constitution of a new professional
Board began since the 2008 AGM. The process was transparent and
nominations came from member organisations coordinated by National
Networks according to agreed criteria that included: expertise in
peacebuilding, gender, organizational development, finance and
management. The curriculum vitae (CV) of the nominees were reviewed, the
pre-selected nominees contacted for confirmation. Their names were then
reviewed by the outgoing board and submitted to the WANEP AGM for
validation and voting. The following emerged as members (four men and
three women) of the new WANEP Board for the next two years:
Dr. Lydia
Umar |
William Awinador | Dr Isaac
Olawale Albert |
Mme Fatoumattou Batoko-Zossou |
Mr. Seth Kluvia |
Mr Michel Sodjiedo Capo
Mian |
Dr Christiana
Thorpe
- Dr. Lydia Umar
is a Nigerian, educationist, and teacher for over 25 years. She
holds a Ph.D in Social Studies (2001). She has conducted a number of
researches, written and presented papers at conferences, contributed
chapters in published books, reviewed journal articles, organized
and facilitated workshop. She started development work as volunteer
with a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) in 1997. Currently serves
as Executive Director of Gender Awareness Trust (GAT), a National
NGO in Nigeria. She is a beneficiary of the UPEACE
Faculty and Staff Development Seminars. She is also the
Faculty Staff of the West Africa Peace Institute (WAPI). She serves
as facilitator at gender, conflict resolution and peace building
workshops. She is currently developing training manuals. Dr Omar is
current Chair Person Global Conflict Preventive Mechanism now
referred to as BEFORE; Regional Board Member- West Africa Network
for Peace (WANEP); Board member- (training & capacity building)
WANEP Nigeria; Regional Adviser- (West Africa) Women in Peace
Building Network (WIPNET); Chair- Coordinating Committee Network on
Police Reforms in Nigeria (NOPRIN); Zonal Coordinator- Nigeria
Gender and Constitution Reform Network.
- William
Awinador is a Ghanaian Diplomat.
He served in Ghana Embassies in Zimbabwe and France as Chargé
d’Affaires before his appointment as Chef du Cabinet of
ECOWAS. He is currently the Director of Africa Union / ECOWAS Bureau
at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ghana.
- Dr Isaac Olawale
Albert is a Professor of Peace and
Conflict Studies at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He
established and coordinated the postgraduate Peace and Conflict
Studies Programme of the Institute of African Studies of the
University of Ibadan, Nigeria up to February 2007. He was contracted
in 2006 and 2007 to facilitate the establishment of the Peace and
Development Studies Programme of the University of Cape Coast,
Ghana. He also established the Peace and Strategic Studies Programme
of the University of Ilorin, Nigeria in 2008. He is a Consultant to
several international development organizations operating in Africa:
UNICEF, World Bank’s Urban Management Programme (UMP), UNCHS
(Habitat), DFID, USAID, USAID/OTI, FEF, Oxfam, MacArthur Foundation
and UNDP.
He is a regular resource person to the Council
for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA,
Dakar, Senegal); the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution The
Presidency, Abuja, Nigeria; the National Defence College, Abuja; a
Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Inequality and
Ethnicity (CRISE), University of Oxford (UK) from 2003-2007; and,
the 2006 winner of the Africa Peace Education Award of the
California State University, Sacramento, USA. He was the Foundation
Board Chairman of the West African Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP)
in Nigeria and faculty of the West African Peacebuilding Institute
(WAPI) since 2001.
- Mme Fatoumattou
Batoko-Zossou is from Benin
Republic and social worker by profession. She worked with the
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in Benin as Program Manager for 19
years. Since 2007, she is the representative of Hunger Free World, a
Japanese International NGO. She is one of the funding members of
WANEP Benin. She now works with community women in Benin and has
been involved in all WANEP Benin work.
- Mr. Seth Kluvia
is a Togolese and a development and social worker. He is the CEO of
APED-TOGO (Development Education Practitioners Association). He is
trainer and consultant in Organizational Development, project
writing, monitoring and evaluation, and strategic planning. He is
currently the Board Chair of WANEP-TOGO. He received several awards,
namely, Honorary Citizen of Maryland, USA (1993), Special Award from
City of Louisville, Kentucky, USA (1997), Recognition from State
House, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, USA, (2000).
- Mr Michel
Sodjiedo Capo Mian is an
International Businessman and development worker from Côte d’Ivoire.
He was one of the founding members of WANEP-CI and the first
national network Coordinator of Côte d’Ivoire. He is a Regional
Board member of WANEP.
- Dr
Christiana Thorpe is the Chief
Electoral Commissioner and Chairman of the National Electoral
Commission of Sierra Leone since 2005. Prior to that, she had held
various ministerial posts, including Minister of Education in 1994.
She has always been actively engaged with women groups, being a
member of the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) in 1994
and launching its Sierra Leone Chapter in March 1995. The FAWE
Chapter has been extensively active in providing educational and
training programmes for displaced and disadvantaged children, as
well as post war national development programmes through formal and
non formal Education. She has received many international awards for
her work. She holds a Doctorate degree in Philosophy (St. Clemens
University – British West Indies) and a Master of the University in
Education Administration (Honoris Causa) St. Clemens University –
British West Indies). She was a faculty staff of the West Africa
Peacebuilding Institute (WAPI) and one of the founding members of
WANEP Sierra Leone.
Review of Constitution and Byelaws
After ten years of practical work, WANEP reviewed its constitution
and by-laws. The January 2009 AGM revised and approved the ‘revised
constitution’ which will be finalised (to ensure compliance with the
current Ghanaian laws and regulations) and printed in English and French
(and later Portuguese). The revised constitution removed the apparent
ambiguities and drawing from ten years of experience, the national
networks guided the discussions and ensured that the guiding document
reflect the realities of the time. This revision also took into
consideration the restructuring process that empowered the national
networks as veritable constituencies of WANEP.
Launch of “Our Story” Documentation Project
A major outcome of the AGM (now referred to as general assembly) was
the decision taken by the WANEP national networks and the Regional
Secretariat to document the WANEP story. This would be in form of a book
and a film documentary. Guidelines are being developed in this regard.
No one can tell the WANEP story more than the actors themselves.
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