West Africa Peacebuilding Institute

WAPI 2004 in Retrospect

For observers of the West Africa regional wars/ violent conflicts, the recent calm in the war-torn Mano River Union (MRU) states of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea, as well as in the southern Casamance region of Senegal and Nigeria, gave rise to optimism. Guarded as this optimism was, the decrease in violence in West Africa since 2003 was an important development given the scope and intensity of fighting that hitherto gripped the region. However as recent events in Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea Bissau and Liberia have shown, the absence of widespread violent conflict must not mask the profound cleavages and instability within societies in this region. The broader and deeper that instability grows in West Africa, the greater the risk that conflicts will merge and spread, further exacerbating conditions that make West Africa the most impoverished region in the world. As the international community seeks to resolve the violent conflicts/wars in West Africa, efforts are also being made to find regional solutions to end the many conflicts in the region. These range from direct intervention to building action-oriented capacities for the mitigation and/or prevention of violent conflict. The latter, is the raison d'être for the West Africa Peacebuilding Institute (WAPI).

WAPI is the peace institute of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) that was set up to provide specialized, intensive training in conflict transformation and peacebuilding in West Africa. Its goal is to strengthen the capacity of peacebuilding practitioners and institutions to address issues of peace and human security; thereby increasing the possibilities of achieving reconciled, just and stable societies in West Africa. WAPI enables the practice of peacebuilding by drawing on the practical day-to-day experiences of peace practitioners and blending same with existing theories and frameworks in peacebuilding. It not only aims at increasing the number of competent, informed and active peacebuilding practitioners in West Africa by providing quality training at a reduced cost, but also at developing mechanisms that will integrate other models with local, indigenous models to address the contextual realities of issues of conflict, peace and human security within West Africa in particular, and Africa in general.

WAPI 2004 which took place from the 6^th to 24^th of September at the New Coco Beach Resort, Teshie Nungua, was formally opened on Sunday, September 5, by Dr. Kwesi Aning of the African Security and Development Research Centre. The occasion was graced by the Deputy Minister of Defence of the Republic of Ghana, Mr. Joseph Akudibillah; Mrs. Afi Yakubu of the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA); the Chairman Ghana Electoral Commission, Mr. David Kangah; WANEP’s Directors and strategic partners; traditional and religious leaders, as well as the media.

WAPI 2004 brought together 38 peace practitioners (20 male and 18 female) from 10 countires: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Benin, Canada, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cameroon and the Gambia. Each of these participants brought along a different experience from their respective fields of endeavors, providing advice and cross-cultural exchange in the field of peacebuilding, human rights, development and humanitarian assistance/relief aid. Participants were drawn from local/grassroots to governmental, religious and international organizations.

Courses offered at WAPI this year were - Introduction to peacebuilding paradigm; Conflict, population and development; Proventive Peacebuilding: early warning and early response development; Women in peacebuilding; and Justice Building and conflict resolution. Each of these courses was highly intensive, interactive and participatory, drawing upon the experiences of both participants and instructors. Classes commenced at 8.30 and ended by 17.00 each day. Courses were offered only in English (over the past 2 years, WAPI allowed for simultaneously interpretation in French). On Wednesdays, variety nights were organized by participants, depicting Western Africa’s vast cultural heritage.

For most members of the 2004 class, WAPI increased confidence and capacity for their work, provided them the opportunity to learn about the different methods and techniques that have been employed in different conflict situations, provided the space to share their experience and knowledge, gave them new direction and focus, increased their understanding of conflict and peacebuilding, provided the platform for networking and strategizing for action. Participants left WAPI with developed action plans for implementation back in their respective countries.

This year, two new instructors joined the WAPI family to teach the courses on introduction to peacebuilding paradigm, and conflict, population movement and development. They are Fr. Clement Aapengnuo of the Northern Ghana Peace Project (NGPP) and Dr. Isaac Olawale Albert, Sub-Dean, Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, respectively.

Dr. Isaac Albert is the Coordinator of the Graduate Peace and Conflict studies Programme of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He had his doctoral degree in African History from the University of Ibadan and was trained in Conflict Resolution and Peacekeeping at the United Nations International Leadership Academy, Amman, Jordan. He has been involved in peacebuilding projects in various parts of Nigeria, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. He has published extensively on issues pertaining to peace and conflict studies.

Fr. Clement Aapengnuo is the Project coordinator of the Northern Ghana Peace Project. He holds a Masters Degree in Mass Communication from the Salesian University. He is the editor of the newsletter, ‘Northern Ghana Peace’ and has co-authored publications on peacebuilding.

Mr. Emmanuel Bombande (WANEP’s incumbent Executive Director), Mr. Sam Doe, (WANEP’s Executive Director emeritus), Ms. Thelma Ekiyor (WANEP’s Director of Programs), Mr. Takwa Suifon (WANEP’s liaison officer in ECOWAS), Ms. Karimi Kinoti (Director, Christian Aid, Kenya), and Prof. Paul Kuruk (Professor of Law at Stamford University) returned to teach at WAPI.

With support from the Catholic Relief Services – West Africa Regional Office and the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), the 4 officials from the Secretariat of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) participated in WAPI. These officials who head the ECOWAS zonal bureau or hubs for conflict monitoring and early warning in Monrovia, Banjul, Benin and Ouagadougou left WAPI highly enthused, informed and equipped with the requisite skills and tools for conflict early warning and prevention. To enable practice, a field trip was organized for these heads of bureau.

For the first time 2 refugees participated in WAPI. Ms. Tonieh Brewer and Ms. Kullie Narmah from the Buduburam refugee camp in Ghana who were sponsored by the Women’s Peacemakers Program of the International Federation of Reconciliation (IFOR) expressed sincere gratitude for the opportunity granted them.

WAPI runs an annual short-term internship program for young school leavers that aim at encouraging and supporting young West Africans to take up careers in peacebuilding and conflict resolution. This year Ms. Anukwa Togoh from the Cape Coast University in Ghana interned with WAPI.

Mark Malan from the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Institute (KAIPTC) and Roosevelt Tule from the University of Legon came to WAPI as guest speakers. They spoke on the ‘evolving interface in the practice of peacebuilding and peacekeeping’ and ‘life as a refugee’ respectively. These sessions were interactive and highly participatory allowing participants to share their views as well as benefit from the experience and knowledge of these external resource persons.

On September 21, the International Day of Peace, the WAPI 2004 class organized an inter-religious peacebuilding service, which featured prayers for peace for countries torn by war and a peace procession that ended with the lighting of a peace candle. This service was very symbolic for a sub region like West Africa that is constantly grappling with the effects of inter-religious conflicts and wars. This service was jointly officiated by a Moslem Imam, a Catholic Priest and a Pentecostal /Protestant Pastor.

Building sustainable peace requires the active participation/inputs of all stakeholders. It involves very strong teambuilding that draws on the strength, experiences, character and vision of people from different backgrounds. To illustrate the importance of teambuilding in the practice of peacebuilding, the Women in Peacebuilding class organized a peace relay for its class participants with the aim of stimulating individual self-reflection.

WAPI hosted a send forth for Mr. Sam Doe, the Executive Director WANEP, who left for the University of Bradford for a year long sabbatical. Before his departure, Mr. Doe co-taught the class on proventive peacebuilding: early warning and early response development.

3 members of the WAPI faculty recently got promoted. Mr. Emmanuel Bombande who teaches the course on introduction to peacebuilding paradigm took the reins from Mr. Doe’s as WANEP’s Executive Director following the departure of the latter. Ms. Thelma Ekiyor got promoted to WANEP’s Director of Program and Ms. Karimi Kinoti got promoted to Director Action-Aid. For these female members of faculty, their promotions were symbolic as they also happen to be the first females to occupy these positions.

WAPI acknowledges and appreciates the Catholic Relief Services –West Africa Regional Office and the Women’s Peacemakers Program of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) for their financial support to WAPI in sponsoring the participation of grassroots peacebuilders.

I am glad to participate in this training…. People just seem to forget we exist. Never did I imagine I’d be given this kind of opportunity to gain knowledge on peacebuilding. … I go back packed with the knowledge I have acquired to be part of a people of like mind to play a role in bringing genuine peace to my nation Liberia… (Kullie Narmah, Liberian Refugee)

…I have learnt more here in 3 weeks than I did in 2 years … (Sagna Augustin – ECOWAS head of bureau, Benin)

…it has been a wonderful experience and knowledge gained. I appreciate the efforts and time you are investing … (Nyima Bojang, the Gambia)

The sessions and content of the courses …have broadened my horizon…I hope to implement all that I have learnt… (Sabbeh Jenneh, Sierra Leone)

…WAPI has afforded me the rare opportunity of making new contacts and interacting with practitioners from different countires…providing me rich information network…this is inspirational… (Charles Nnagboh, JDPC, Nigeria)

Back home, I will organize workshops and seminars for the purpose of sharing knowledge gained at WAPI. My target would be young people who are very often mobilized for violent conflicts, civil unrest and disturbances. I hope to teach them what I have learnt in WAPI as well as encourage them to get involved in peacebuilding and conflict prevention in their own communities. (Clinton Layweh, Liberia)

Before this morning’s lecture on gender, I would have argued that gender issues only have to do with women’s issues, particularly because all I ever understood by the concept was linked to women’s clamor for equality. (Fr. Sylvester Kuubetesuur, Ghana)

WAPI has greatly increased my understanding of the nature, causes and dynamics of conflict and had enhanced my capacity to identify, monitor and analyze conflict as well as develop integrated approaches for responding to conflict. (Professor Ouedraogo Albert, Burkina Faso)

Building peace is the responsibility of every member of a given society. It took my being in WAPI to realize that I also had a role to play in rebuilding my country. Thanks for stimulating this reflection WAPI. (Mary Kumba, Sierra Leone)