14 conflicts to be resolved in the Nadowli District

Nadowli (U/W), Dec. 7, GNA - About 200 participants at a two-day conflict resolution workshop on Tuesday, resolved to form mediation committees to resolve all the 14 conflicts in the district.

The workshop, which was organized by the Nadowli District Assembly, and sponsored by World Vision International, was aimed at conscientizing Assembly Members, heads of departments, chiefs and area council members on how to tackle and resolve conflicts in their respective areas. Mr Ebenezer Okoampa, Associate Director for Relief and Peace Building of World Vision International, who announced this during the closing ceremony, said there were a total of 14 conflicts made up of chieftaincy, land and witchcraft related disputes in the district and hoped that participants would resolve them by early next year.

He said participants had also promised to incorporate disaster prevention in their action plans, instead of the usual way of trying to control disasters when they break out in their areas of operations. Wing Commander (RTD) Eric Dakurah, Nadowli District Chief Executive urged people engaged in conflicts in the district to swim out of entrenched positions and be sympathetic to society by resolving to co-exist peacefully.

He also appealed to the enlightened in society to serve as agents of change, rather than deepening existing crisis in their areas. "Peace is sweet, conflict is bitter, we should not try to revisit things of the past that will remind people of agony and pain in society, but rather to encourage our people to live in peace and harmony" He appealed to communities that have never witnessed any conflict in their lives to pray never to witness one, as it was not only destructive, but also retrogresses development in society.

Mr Simon Kunyangna, an official of the Tamale Area office of World Vision International said action plans on various conflicts areas would be drawn up and submitted for execution and appealed to the participants to honour their promises of mediating in conflicts in their areas.