By Alex Baah Boadi
Sefwi-Wiawso (WN/R), Aug. 03, GNA – The Western North Regional Office of the National Peace Council has organized a peer-to-peer mediation training workshop for student leaders and councillors within the Wiawso Municipality on conflict management.
The training was aimed at strengthening participants’ capacity to foster a culture of dialogue, cooperation, and peaceful coexistence by being able to prevent, manage, and resolve possible conflicts within their communities.
Participants were taken through conflict management and resolution in schools, and peer mediation principles, processes, and practice among others.
The Most Reverend Samuel Nkuah-Boateng, Chairman of the Western North Regional Peace Council, at the workshop said the programme was to train the students and councillors on peacebuilding mechanisms to help provide a space for teaching and learning.
He said: “Schools should be safe spaces for learning and where there are people, there would be disagreement and the important thing is how we manage them, and that is why the Peace Council is organising such a training programme.”
According to him, the training reflected the Council’s shared belief that conflicts could be resolved peacefully through dialogue, respect, and understanding.
He added that equipping student leaders and school councillors with meditation skills, meant helping to build safer and more peaceful learning environments.
Most Rev Nkuah-Boateng encouraged participants to actively apply the knowledge gained and serve as ambassadors of peace in their respective schools.
“Ensuring peace is a shared responsibility and that together we can address challenges such as bullying, violence, and substance abuse through peaceful means,” he said.
He gave the assurance that the Peace Council remained committed to working with the Ghana Education Service and other stakeholders to strengthen peacebuilding education and conflict management across the region.
Madam Elizabeth Boduwah, Acting Executive Secretary of Western North Peace Council, on her part said the training was significant for building peaceful school environments where students would be able to resolve their own conflicts to prevent violence among students.
She also encouraged the students to be ambassadors of peace not only in schools but in their communities as well.
She pledged the Council’s engagement with major stakeholders to ensure continuous peace in the region.
Some of the student leaders in an interview with the Ghana News Agency lauded the training and pledged to ensure peace whilst in school and at home.
GNA
Edited b Justina Hilda Paaga/Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Alex Baah Boadi
Reporter’s email address: [email protected]