CPNN (Culture of Peace News Network) bulletin of November 1, 2020

Culture of Peace Flourishes in Africa

Judging from the many articles from Africa in CPNN this monrth, the culture of peace is flourishing in Africa.

African Union (AU). The AU continues to provide leadership for a culture of peace throughout Africa, as we have followed in recent years in CPNN. This month the joint task force on peace and security of the AU with the United Nations held its 19th consultative meeting. The meeting discussed developments and cooperation in support to on-going electoral processes in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Guinea. The meeting also exchanged views on the situations in Ethiopia, Libya, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Western Sahara.

The AU Youth Envoy, in cooperation with other African organizations, has sponsored this month a series of virtual events in five regions to develop the leadership capacities of young African women. Breakout groups discussed ecomomic rights and justice, sexual reproductive health and rights, climate justice, technology and innovation for feminist action, feminist movement and leadership, gender-based violence and "youth silencing the gun."

The African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM) plays a supportive role to the African Union as well as regional organizations and national governments in promoting a culture of peace and preventig conflicts. This month CPNN reprints an interview with the Special Assistant to the President concerning the work of the organization.

Côte d’Ivoire. Leading up to the national elections in Côte d’Ivoire, many sectors are working for a culture of peace to prevent a recurrence of the violence that has marred elections in previous years. This includes the Voice of Women, the traditional chiefs of Gagnoa, young Christian and Muslim leaders convened by the Fondation Félix Houphouët-Boigny pour la recherche de la paix and the musical group Les Héritiers du Zouglou. The culture of peace has deep roots in Côte d’Ivoire, since it was in Yamoussoukro in 1989 that the UNESCO culture of peace program was born. The Network of Foundations and Research Institutions for the Promotion of a Culture of Peace in Africa reprints each month the bulletin of CPNN.

Guinea. Also in Guinea to reduce violence in the pre-election period there is a mobilization of the civil society for a culture of peace. The NGO Conseil de Réflexion pour une Guinée Nouvelle (CRGN) launched a campaign to guarantee an inclusive, peaceful, transparent and credible election and to sensitize and educate citizens on the culture of peace.

Nigeria. The candidates for governor in the forthcoming election in the state of Ondo have promised to embrace peace. They made the pledge at the signing of a peace accord organised by the National Peace Committee (NPC) in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Senegal. In Kedougou, near the borders of Mali and Guinea, the think tank Timbuktu Institute-African Center for Peace Studies Institute is launching an the initiative called "Resilience at the borders" to promote the culture of peace.

Liberia. Mariama H. Konneh, a young Liberian women’s rights advocate, has been selected to participate in the Global Peace Chain summit 2020 in Turkey. "By transferring knowledge and skills gained from the Global Peace Chain, I hope to build a network of youth activists committed to non-violence advocacy and values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence," she said.

Niger. Organized by the NGO OXFAM, an awareness campaign has been launched to strengthen the participation of women and young people in the various inter-community dialogue frameworks.

Gabon. Dedicated to the prevention and resolution of conflicts in the sub-region of Central Africa, the creation of a network of "Young peace weavers" in Gabon, Chad and Cameroon was recently presented by the head of the United Nations System in Gabon, Dr. Stephen Jackson.

Burkina Faso. "Culture of peace, prevention and management of crises; guarantees of sustainable social cohesion ": This is the theme of the 3rd edition of the "96 hours of the Center region," launched in Ouagadougou.

The flourishing of the culture of peace in Africa has been stimulated and supported by UNESCO since the 1989 Yamoussoukro conference mentioned above. The UNESCO support has, if anything, increased in recent years as detailed in more than 40 CPNN articles.