KAIPTC deepens traditional leaders’ capacity for peacebuilding

The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) has intensified efforts to strengthen the capacity of traditional leaders to prevent and resolve conflicts through practical peacebuilding and governance skills.

The initiative formed part of the third edition of the Teshie Homowo School, a two-day programme at the Schroder Hall Auditorium in Teshie, under the theme, “Give Peace a Chance: The Evolving Role of Traditional Leadership in Modern Governance.”

Participants were taken through conflict mapping and root-cause analysis, collaborative governance, alternative dispute resolution, inclusive conflict resolution, and early-warning mechanisms.

Speaking on behalf of the Commandant of KAIPTC, the Deputy Director of Training, Wing Commander Christian Eshun (Rtd), said traditional authorities remained critical actors in resolving disputes, promoting social cohesion and preventing local conflicts from escalating.

He urged traditional leaders to continuously enhance their knowledge and skills to enable them to respond effectively to emerging security and governance challenges.

Wing Commander Eshun said strengthening the capacity of traditional authorities was essential to complement formal security and governance structures and promote peaceful communities.

He encouraged participants to apply the knowledge acquired from the programme to address disputes at the community level and promote dialogue before conflicts developed into situations requiring security intervention.

The Chief Registrar of the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mr Baafi Nsiah, highlighted the negative impact of chieftaincy conflicts on national development.

He noted that such conflicts could divide communities, disrupt economic activities and delay development projects, stressing the need for traditional leaders and other stakeholders to prioritise dialogue, mediation and respect for the rule of law in resolving disputes.

The Teshie Mantse and President of the Teshie Traditional Council, Gbetsoolo Nii Ashitey Akomfra III, commended members of the Council for ensuring a peaceful celebration of this year’s Homowo Festival.

He attributed the peaceful celebration partly to lessons derived from previous editions of the Homowo School and expressed appreciation to KAIPTC for sustaining the initiative.

Gbetsoolo Akomfra III urged participants to become ambassadors of peace by sharing the knowledge acquired with their communities and supporting efforts to resolve disputes through dialogue.

He said such an approach would help reduce the need for security intervention in local conflicts and contribute to sustainable peace and community development.

The programme brought together traditional and religious leaders, government officials, security stakeholders and community representatives to build their capacity in conflict prevention, management, resolution and peacebuilding.