Youth Harvest Foundation Ghana (YHFG) has initiated a two-year Peace Building Fund (PBF) project in three districts of the Upper East Region, aimed at addressing the root causes of conflicts and vulnerabilities to violent extremism in northern Ghana.
The project focuses on empowering women and youth to build social cohesion and contribute to peacebuilding processes in their communities.
Speaking during one of the training workshops in Zebilla, Dominic Anarigide, the Project Coordinator, emphasized that the initiative seeks to prevent localized and spillover conflicts through the empowerment of marginalized groups, particularly women and youth.
“The project is designed to address vulnerabilities that can lead to violent extremism by ensuring that women and youth play central roles in peacebuilding and conflict prevention processes,” Mr. Anarigide said.
The PBF project is supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and is being implemented in collaboration with the Regional Coordinating Council, district assemblies, assembly members, traditional and religious leaders, and other stakeholders.
The project targets several communities, including Sapeliga, Widnaba, and Kopella in the Bawku West District; Kugri, Denugu, and Siisi in the Garu District; and Namoo, Feo, and Soe in the Bongo District, all of which have experienced varying levels of conflict and insecurity.
As part of the project activities, YHFG conducted a two-day intensive training for participants on the Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) to development planning. Participants included assembly members, youth and women group leaders, civil society organization (CSO) actors, and media representatives.
The training aimed to equip participants with knowledge of human rights principles, social accountability, and decentralized development planning processes.
“This training will enable participants to contribute effectively to the development of their communities and hold duty-bearers accountable for the use of public resources,” Anarigide noted.
He added that participants were also trained on how to engage in development planning processes to identify and implement projects that best meet their needs and aspirations.
Through this initiative, YHFG hopes to foster long-term peace and development in the region by empowering local communities to actively participate in governance and development processes, thereby contributing to the overall stability and well-being of northern Ghana.
Participants expressed excitement about the training and pledged to apply their knowledge by actively participating in decision-making regarding their community development and holding duty-bearers accountable.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Moses Apiah|Bolgatanga
