UG lunches Africa University Network workshop on conflict management through sports

The Department of Physical Education and Sports Studies at the University of Ghana's College of Education proudly launched the Africa-UniNet Workshop on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at the Pan-African Doctoral building.

This initiative aims to enhance disaster response strategies by integrating social and sports-based interventions with conventional medical treatments, thereby improving recovery efforts in disaster and conflict scenarios.

The Africa-UniNet workshop adopts a multidisciplinary approach, drawing on expertise from medicine, sports, and social work. This collaboration involves the University of Ghana, the University of Ouahigouya in Burkina Faso, and the Management Center Innsbruck in Austria, to strengthen interventions in the aftermath of disasters and conflicts.

Led by Dr. Bella Bello Bitugu from the Department of Physical Education and Sports Studies, the four-day training focuses on equipping participants with hands-on, research-driven techniques. Dr. Bitugu emphasized that this workshop represents a significant advancement towards a more comprehensive approach to disaster response.

"The Africa-UniNet Workshop happens once a year in the summer, sponsored by the Austrian Academic Service," he mentioned. "We applied for the grant to explore how an integrative approach can address conflict and peace-building issues. The workshop will focus on combining medical, sports, and social work strategies to address peace, conflict, and development."

The event provided a platform for students, researchers, and practitioners to exchange ideas, network, and explore innovative methods for crisis response and recovery while contributing to long-term peacebuilding efforts.

The Africa-UniNet initiative aims to equip future professionals with the skills and knowledge necessary to manage complex disaster and conflict situations using a combination of medical, social, and sports-based interventions.