Volta Peace Council equips Anloga Assembly Members with conflict prevention skills

The Volta Regional Peace Council has trained 40 Assembly Members in the Anloga District of the Volta Region in peacebuilding, conflict analysis, and early warning to strengthen peaceful and effective local governance.

The training at the Anloga District Assembly Hall was aimed at equipping the Assembly Members with practical skills to identify early warning signs of conflict and respond appropriately to emerging tensions within their communities.

The engagement focused on helping participants understand the causes, actors, and dynamics of conflicts, as well as the appropriate approaches to preventing disputes from escalating.

The Chairman of the Volta Regional Peace Council, Rev. Seth K. Mawutor, reminded the Assembly Members that peace went beyond the absence of conflict and required justice, dignity, understanding and respect.

He urged them to listen attentively to their constituents, promote dialogue and reconciliation, and address tensions at the early stages before they escalated into serious disputes.

The Regional Executive Secretary of the Peace Council, Dr David Esinu Yao Normanyo, encouraged participants to first understand the nature and dynamics of a conflict before attempting to intervene.

He emphasised the need for Assembly Members to verify information, understand institutional mandates, apply the “Do No Harm” principle and use appropriate referral mechanisms when dealing with sensitive disputes.

Dr Normanyo said effective conflict prevention required timely and informed interventions, particularly at the community level where emerging tensions could be identified and addressed before they became more difficult to manage.

The training also highlighted the important role of Assembly Members as community-level actors who were often among the first to encounter emerging tensions.

Participants were therefore encouraged to strengthen collaboration with traditional authorities, security agencies, community leaders and other relevant institutions to improve early warning and conflict prevention mechanisms.

The Peace Council reiterated its commitment to strengthening local leadership and promoting inclusive peacebuilding, stressing that effective peacebuilding began at the community level where people lived and interacted daily.

It said building the capacity of local leaders was essential to preventing conflicts, promoting social cohesion and creating peaceful communities where sustainable development could thrive.

The training formed part of efforts to promote earlier intervention, stronger local leadership and peaceful communities across the Volta Region.