Forum on conflict resolution and post conflict management held in Tamale

Tamale, Dec. 15, GNA - A two-day forum aimed at laying a firm basis for support to the media in conflict resolution and post conflict management was opened in Tamale on Tuesday.

About 55 participants, made up of information officers, presenters of local fm stations, members of The Ghana Journalists Association and the Northern Region Youth Development Association (NORYDA) are attending. It was organised by Panos Institute and NORYDA, an umbrella organisation of all ethnic youth associations in the region.

In a speech read for her, Mrs Jeannette Quarcoopome, co-ordinator of Panos, said the media, as instruments for social mobilisation and as institutions of ideological and cultural expression, "have the potential to create and influence opinion, perceptions and awareness of realities."

She said that since the media have always been central in the process of violent conflicts, they must be supported and empowered to promote peace, unity, reconciliation and good governance.

"There is also the need to support the media to advance their capacities to effectively and constructively cover initiatives of conflict management and resolution, peace-building and to promote efforts at reconstruction and reconciliation."

Mrs. Quarcoopome said the forum is aimed at supporting community radio stations in the crisis-endemic areas to develop and disseminate messages of peace, unity and conflict resolution, and to test specially packaged radio programmes to defuse tension.

Mr. Ben Salifu, chairman of NORYDA said the organisation was born out of the 1994 conflict in the region with the aim to continue the peace campaign, defuse tensions and work for the general development of the region.

In pursuit of its objectives, the association interacts with various ethnic groups, political and administrative heads and traditional authorities, and has been organising capacity building workshops in collaboration with other agencies to sustain the peace process, he said.

Mr. Salifu said NORYDA is presently involved in the formulation and dissemination of peace messages in all the languages for broadcast by local fm stations. He commended both local and international collaborators and working partners, whom he said have in diverse ways supported NORYDA in conflict resolution and peace building. GNA