By Albert Futukpor, GNA
Tamale, Sept 29, GNA – The Savannah Regional Peace Council has called on government, traditional and religious authorities, development partners, the private sector and citizens to make peace, social cohesion and human security central to the region’s development agenda.
The Council said peace should be regarded as a fundamental development investment and a prerequisite for sustainable economic growth rather than an issue to be addressed only after development initiatives had been implemented.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Council, signed by Reverend Father Lazarus Annyerreh, its Chairman, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Tamale.
The statement was in commemoration of this year’s International Day of Peace, which is on the theme: “Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day”.
The statement said the region’s considerable agricultural potential, natural resources, tourism opportunities, ecological assets, strategic location, cultural heritage and youthful population could only translate into sustainable prosperity in an environment of peace and stability.
It said conflict and insecurity could undermine development gains by diverting resources meant for schools, hospitals, roads, businesses and livelihoods to responding to emergencies while disrupting economic activities, dividing communities and weakening investor confidence.
It said “Peace is not the reward that comes after development. Peace is the foundation upon which development is built.”
The statement said the United Nations’ 2026 International Day of Peace message reinforced the understanding that peace went beyond the absence of war to include safety, dignity, opportunity and cooperation requiring deliberate investment in people, relationships, trust, institutions, dialogue and sustainable development.
It urged the people of the region to transform its cultural and ethnic diversity into a source of strength rather than division.
It said the different ethnic and cultural communities, traditions, languages, histories and institutions in the region represented a reservoir of knowledge, creativity, resilience, and social capital that could contribute significantly to development.
It called for deliberate efforts to create platforms for communities to listen to one another, address grievances peacefully, challenge stereotypes, counter misinformation, and resolve disagreements before they escalated into violence.
The statement said traditional authorities, political and religious leaders, youth organisations, women’s groups, civil society organisations, educational institutions, businesses, families and community actors had important roles to play in building trust and strengthening relationships across ethnic and cultural boundaries.
It emphasised that no community could develop sustainably at the expense of another, adding that the future of the region must be a shared responsibility.
On development, it said agriculture, agro-processing, tourism, forestry, renewable energy, trade, entrepreneurship and other emerging opportunities could become powerful engines of transformation if supported by stable communities, predictable relationships, secure investments and mutual trust.
It called for peace infrastructure to be treated as development infrastructure.
It also called for increased investment in early-warning and early-response systems, community dialogue, mediation, peace education, youth engagement, women’s participation, accountable and inclusive leadership, and social cohesion as integral components of development planning.
The statement urged development partners and financing institutions supporting the region to mainstream peace and conflict sensitivity into their programmes and investments rather than treating peacebuilding as stand-alone interventions.
It called for increased support for community-based peacebuilding and conflict prevention, early-warning and early-response mechanisms, inclusive dialogue involving traditional authorities, women and young people, peace and civic education, livelihoods and economic opportunities for vulnerable and at-risk youth and programmes that promoted cooperation amongst ethnic and cultural communities.
It also called for women’s meaningful participation in peacebuilding and decision-making, responsible communication and measures to counter misinformation and hate speech, especially on ethnic and political platforms.
The statement called for investment in research and data to identify emerging social and security risks as well as functional institutions and local structures capable of supporting traditional structures to mediate disputes before they became violent.
It said, “Every cedi invested in preventing violent conflict is an investment in protecting every other development cedi.”
It called on political, traditional, religious, and community leaders to recognise the influence of their words and actions on social cohesion.
It said leadership should be measured not only by projects delivered but also by relationships strengthened, tensions prevented, young people given hope and communities brought together.
It urged leaders to reject narratives that reduced communities to competing ethnic interests, resist attempts to exploit identity, history or grievances for short-term advantage, and strengthen channels for dialogue whenever disagreements emerged.
It urged citizens to listen rather than provoke, reconcile rather than retaliate, verify information before sharing it, respect other people’s identities, and resolve disagreements through dialogue rather than violence.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Albert Futukpor
Email: [email protected]