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WAPI
2004
WAPI 2004 took place from September 6 to
September 24 in the New Coco Beach Resort, in Teshie Nungua. 2004
hosted a diverse group of participants. Among the 38 alumni were 4
officials from the ECOWAS Secretariat, 2 female refugees from the
Buduburam Refugee camp in Accra and 7 Reverend Sisters from the
Catholic Diocese in Togo. Participants benefited greatly from the wide
range of expertise and experience of this diverse group. In addition,
two new faculty members joined the team in 2004 as well as several new
guest lecturers.
Five courses were offered:
• Introduction to peacebuilding paradigm
• Conflict, population and development
• Proventive Peacebuilding: early warning and early response
development
• Women in peacebuilding
• Justice building and conflict resolution
Courses and Instructors
Introduction to Peacebuilding Paradigms
Emmanuel Bombande
& John Katunga
Myriad of intervention mechanisms have been tested in West
Africa. Many of them are rooted in contemporary international politics;
others in emerging humanitarianism. This course is designed to
understand the theoretical and practical usefulness of each mechanism,
locate where in Africa it has been applied and evaluate its impact in
terms of Peacebuilding. The course will focus on the transformative,
proventive and just peacebuilding paradigms and argue their resonance
with West African indigenous approaches to peacebuilding. Participants
will be expected to engage in discussions, simulations, role-plays and
case studies.
Development, Conflict and Population Movement
Ba-Foday Suma & Fode Cissee
For nearly two decades, violent civil conflicts of different
degree of intensity have engulfed various countries and regions in every
continent. The massive population movements, the widespread destruction
of social and economic infrastructure and private and public property
impinge on the development potential of countries in the sub region.
The course on development, conflict and population movement seeks
to discourse the notion of development as the social, economic and
institutional transformation of society in the light of development
strategies applied by several African countries that are currently
involved in conflict. Participants will be introduced to a notion of
development that goes beyond the quantifiable productive capacity to
include the social, economic and institutional transformation of society
and they will further gain the insight in the shift in development
co-operation and aid policy towards conflict resolution as part of an
emerging system of global governance.
Women in Peacebuilding
Thelma Ekiyor &
Karimi Kinoti
Too often the perception of women during conflict and war is that
of victims, however, recent violent conflicts and wars, especially in
the West Africa sub region, have destroyed such stereotype of women as
passive victims. Women now emerge as combatants; others are left with
the burden of preserving the social order. This realization has led to
women and women's groups becoming more involved in conflict resolution
and peacebuilding.
There is no doubt that women's experiences and input make a
valuable contribution in informal settings in African communities, but
these contributions are not evident in formal peacebuilding processes
mainly due to lack of skills and confidence. This course will provide
analytical frameworks to understanding the roles women can play in
peacebuilding as well as develop their strategies for intervention. It
will blend existing theories and practical experiences on women in
peacebuilding with special focus on key thematic areas such as: Women
and Religion, Feminism, Women and Peacebuilding, Trauma Healing and
Building Women's Leadership for Peace. Participants will be expected to
design training workshops, engage in brainstorming exercises, group
discussions, simulations and role-plays and drama sketches.
Proventive Peacebuilding: Early Warning and Early response
Development
Sam Doe & Takwa
Suifon
Early warning is about assessing the likelihood of violent
conflicts, the possibility of a resurgence or escalation of violence and
identifying the windows of opportunities for peace. This course will
provide analytical frameworks to understanding the nature, causes,
dynamics and actors of conflict; develop skills for identifying,
analyzing, monitoring and reporting conflict and peace indicators and
planning integrated approaches to Peacebuilding. Particular focus will
be placed on how to conduct and write risk assessment reports; monitor
and report qualitative and quantitative early warning indicators,
conduct roundtable conferences and mobilize strategic, integrated
responses. Exercises will include conflict mapping, case studies,
thematic report development and simulation.
Justice-Building and Conflict Resolution
Paul Kuruk & Fatou M'Boge
The course will explore the role of justice-building as a
conflict prevention and peacebuilding strategy emphasizing two basic
approaches:
(i) the promotion of transitional justice through formal
judicial procedures or less formal truth commissions and
(ii) the
building of institutions for both civil society and democratic
governments based on the rule of law.
(iii) the role of human rights and
peacebuilding organizations in post conflict situations.
The course will explain the need for accountability for crimes
and abuses committed during conflict as well as highlight challenges to
peacebuilding and conflict prevention programs in Africa with reference
to specific countries in the West African sub region. To the extent that
the causes of African conflicts can be traced to internal repression and
lack of civil society, focus will also be placed on the development of
political systems marked not only by free and fair elections but also by
the rule of law and the protection of human rights. In this context the
justice and peacebuilding organizations have a critical role to play in
developing an integrated framework whereby justice and peace issues are
in harmony with one another. A robust legal system is therefore vital to
the maintenance of order and peace.
The following elements of an effective justice-building program
will be emphasized as part of the course:
(i) guarantees of human rights
and fundamental freedoms,
(ii) an independent, impartial and effective
legal system
(iii) the role of regional and international legal
instruments in addressing human rights violations emerging from
conflict, and
(iv) respect for human rights of the populace by law
enforcement personnel including the army and police. The course will
target peacebuilding and human rights practitioners, law enforcement
personnel, administrators, government officials, policymakers and
community leaders.
