Centres to heal conflicts in Northern Ghana advocated

Wa, Sept. 17, GNA - The Tamale Ecclesiastical Province Pastoral Conference (TEPPCON) an organization within the Northern Province of the Catholic Church has called on the government and the various regional peace councils to establish conflict healing centres in conflict zones of Northern Ghana.

These centres when established would serve as avenues for the restoration of peace in protracted conflict areas like Bawku and Dagbon, Ms Agnes Gandaa, TEPPCON Partnership Coordinator said at Wa on Tuesday. She said this during a two-day workshop on the role of the Northern woman in conflict prevention, resolution and transformation, which was attended by several identifiable women's groups in the Upper West Region.

The workshop, among others, hoped to enhance the understanding of women in certain concepts in peace building, change perceptions and help transform hearts and make the women effective campaigners for peace and conflict transformation.

Ms Gandaa stated that her organization viewed the restoration of lasting peace in Northern Ghana as core to development and good governance.

She advocated that the meetings of the Board of the Savannah Accelerated Development Fund be rotated among the three Northern Regions.

It was equally important for the government to select Board members of the Fund from people who were well versed in Northern Ghana and its development aspirations and not people who would parade as Northerners in order to benefit from the fund and its opportunities, she said. Mr. Isaac Owusu-Mensah, Senior Programmes Manager of Konrad Adenauer Foundation sponsors of the workshop expressed regret that in Northern Ghana petty misunderstandings that could be resolved through dialogue had often resulted in the burning of houses. He said women as mothers and wives could play a key role in changing the mindset of their spouses and sons to do away with violent conflicts, which were giving Northern Ghana a bad image. Mr. David Yakubu, Regional Coordinating Director, who represented the Regional Minister, appealed to the chiefs and people of the region to continue to use legal structures in resolving their differences. 17 Sept 09