By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Bolgatanga, Oct. 30, GNA – Forty young men and women from various youth groups in the Bolgatanga Municipality and its environs have undergone a two-day capacity-building training to equip them with conflict resolution and peacebuilding skills to help prevent violent extremism in their communities.
The training formed part of phase two of the Prevention of Violent Extremism through Social Accountability (PoVETSA II) project being implemented by the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in partnership with the National Peace Council (NPC) and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), with funding support from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The PoVETSA II project, which began in October 2022, operates in five regions namely Upper West, Upper East, North East, Northern, and Greater Accra and seeks to improve civilian-security relations and strengthen community resilience against violent extremism.
Ms Adelaide Yiriyelleh, Project Manager for CRS Ghana, speaking at the opening ceremony in Bolgatanga said the workshop was designed to empower the youth to become peace ambassadors within their communities.
“We are bringing together 40 carefully selected youth to build their capacities in conflict resolution, mediation, dialogue, and early warning response systems,” she said.
“At the end of this training, we expect them to serve as agents of peacebuilding within their homes, communities, and organisations.”
Ms Yiriyelleh noted that CRS and its partners had developed a robust monitoring and evaluation system to track the progress of participants after the training and urged the participants to replicate the training in their various communities to achieve maximum impact.
“We will conduct quarterly monitoring and field visits to document success stories, identify challenges, and support participants to strengthen their interventions,” she explained.
She said the session followed an earlier one held in March 2025 in Tamale, which trained 40 women in preventing violent extremism and promoting community dialogue.
“You cannot talk about peace without inclusion, that’s why we ensure diversity by involving women, youth, persons with disabilities, and other marginalised groups. Every voice matters in building peace.”
Mr Ali Anankpieng, a Peacebuilding Expert and Trainer, said youth engagement was critical in preventing violent extremism, adding that young people were both “agents of peace and potential perpetrators of violence.
“If young people are trained to understand peace and conflict, they can channel their energy positively. Projects like this are vital because they empower youth to take leadership roles in peacebuilding.”
He emphasised that youth programmes should be demand-driven, based on the actual needs of young people saying, “when the youth themselves define what they need and you provide it, they take ownership. That’s when peacebuilding becomes meaningful.”
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Joseph Darison Wusi, Deputy Upper East Regional Police Commander, commended the initiative, adding that the goal of the project aligned perfectly with their efforts of the Ghana Police Service to improve trust and collaboration between civilians and security agencies.”
He said the Police Service was open to partnerships with community groups through mechanisms such as Neighbourhood Watch Committees, which help gather information and support law enforcement in preventing crime and insecurity.
Ms Darlington Anadem, one of the participants said the training was timely as the country continued to be threatened by activities of terrorists in the Sahel, adding that the training had empowered him to help prevent infiltration of violent extremists into the country.
Mr Nelson Apasnaba, another participant expressed gratitude to CRS and its partners and called for more of such training to empower more of the youth to lead peace efforts in their communities.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Linda Asante Agyei