In response to the unprecedented violence meted out to civilians in the Sahel Region by violent extremists, the Sahelian Catholic Church is leading a multi-country effort through it’s Sahel Peace Initiative to create awareness about violent conflict and to advocate for positive change, the Centre for conflict transformation and peace studies (CECOTAPS), a non-profit faith-based peacebuilding organization headquartered in Damongo in the savannah region in partnership with the Catholic Relief Service (CRS) is implementing the Sahel Peace Initiative (SPI) project in the five Dioceses of the Tamale Ecclesiastical Province (TEP).
The project activities are being carried out through the Justice and Peace Committees (JPC) at the various dioceses.
As part of the activities, a training dubbed, Gender and Preventing Violent Extremism is organized for women across the Tamale province.
The Tamale and Damongo Justice and Peace Committees took the lead in carrying out the training concurrently in Tamale and Bole from the 22nd of March to the 24th of March, 2023.
The objective of the training for the women is to enable them learn generally about the Gender and Preventing Violent Extremism(PVE) Agenda and examine why integrating a gender perspective and promoting women’s empowerment is crucial to effective PVE.
The training was also meant to demonstrate to the women the gender dynamics of violent extremism and how it helps shed light on the peace and security challenges that both men and women face concerning Violent extremism.
Another objective of the training is for the women to explore on how the United Nations Women Peace and Security (WPS) agenda can be integrated into the Preventing Violent extremism policy and programming.
The training was facilitated by Rev. Fr. Thaddeus Kunsah from the Tamale Catholic Arch Diocese and Rev. Fr. David Dum from the Catholic Diocese of Damongo.
Similar activities have been held in the Wa Diocese and same is expected to be held in the Bolgatanga Diocese in the Upper East Region and Yendi Diocese in the Northern.
Source: Padfm.com.gh/Kumatey Gorden/0243531604
