At a community sensitization program in Kunchogu, Sissala East Municipality, Professor Samuel Marfo, a renowned expert in Peace and Conflict Resolution, emphasized the crucial need for conflict mediators to grasp the intricacies of conflicts before attempting to resolve them.
The event, titled “Atlantic Corridor Project: Promoting Community Dialogues and Community Peace Committees to Strengthen Social Cohesion and Reduce Vulnerabilities to Violent Extremism,” was sponsored by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and implemented by the National Peace Council.
Prof. Marfo, also a member of the Upper West Regional Peace Council, cautioned that misconceptions about conflicts can lead to misguided actions that exacerbate the situation rather than resolving it.
He stressed the importance of understanding different perspectives, acknowledging that diverse views are a natural aspect of human interaction.
“We may disagree but no matter our differences, if we really want peace, we can learn to view the issue from each other’s viewpoint, we can resolve our differences and that makes us human regardless of our diversity,” he emphasized.
The program aimed to promote community dialogues and strengthen social cohesion. Attendees included representatives from various communities, chiefs, and local leaders.
Pio Haruna Osman Awedaga, Chief of Kunchogu, expressed gratitude to the Peace Council and its partners for bringing together communities that had been divided due to their differences.
Sumani Seidu Butu, Assembly Member for Butu Electoral Area, acknowledged the prevalence of conflicts in the communities and hoped that the knowledge gained from the program would aid in achieving peaceful coexistence.
Alhaji Ibrahim Darimani, a leader of the Fulbey community, pledged to disseminate the information among his people and called for more such engagements to restore peace to the area.
