Wa Satellite Peace Center inaugurates Peace Club at Nandom SHS

Nandom, (U/W), Dec. 7, GNA - The Wa Satellite Peace Center (SPC) has=

inaugurated its second Peace Club at the Nandom Senior High School with a=

call on the youth to avoid violence and conflicts but promote peace to foster development.

Mr Cezar Kale, Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, who performed th= e inaugural function at Nandom in the Lawra District of the Upper West Regi= on, said the youth were the backbone of every progressive society but they we= re also the most vulnerable group who could be easily manipulated in a confl= ict situation. However, he said, when the youth were well educated on issues of pea= ce they could play an important role in building peace and harmony in the society. Therefore, it was appropriate for the SPC to establish these Peace Clubs in the second cycle institutions to give the youth an opportunity t= o join hands in the quest for sustainable peace building in the society. Mr Kale said the Peace Clubs would constitute a social movement and network that seek to achieve ideals such as preventing conflicts or misunderstanding and minimizing inter-human violence when conflicts occur= .. This, he noted, could be achieved by learning to tolerate and accommodate each other without which, according to him, there would be ma= ny conflicts and wars.

He cautioned the students to note that selfish and frustrated people=

use innocent youth to create war, disturbances and civil unrests because of their greed and selfishness and urged the youth not to allow such people to manipulate them and spoil their future. Mr Kale commended the SPC for its commitment to complementing the Government's efforts in promoting peace at the regional level by setting up the Regional Peace Advisory Councils. He appealed to the youth to think twice whenever they were being incited to do the unthinkable.

Mrs Rosemary Yakubu, SPC Coordinator, said to have peace the youth m= ust be actively engaged in the process, saying that was the reason behind the=

formation of the Peace Clubs. Mrs Yakubu, who is also the Regional Secretary of Women-In-Peace (WI= P), said they would be organising regular seminars for the various Peace Club= s to build their capacity on how to negotiate for peace in society. The Reverend Father David Dum, Programmes Officer of the Center for Conflict Transformation and Peace Studies, (CECOTAPS) said the most respected and successful person was the one who related well with other people. He, therefore, urged members of the club to participate actively in all the activities of the club, saying it would bring about an immense transformation in their lives, which could be used to affect the lives of=

others. Naab Gregory, Patron of the Club, said the club would work hard to spread its tentacles to cover basic schools in the district. He thanked the Deputy Regional Minister and the SPC for donating GH¢300.00 as seed money for the club. Mr Kuubeizong A. Samson, Headmaster of the School, pledged the schoo= l's unflinching support for the Club.