The University of Professional Studies-Accra through a partnership from its Centre for Public Accountability is supporting the 1st West Africa Peace Dialogue by hosting the event in one of its 400 capacity conference halls.
This gesture from the University has given the organizers of the event a giants boost as the facility will be used at no cost to the organizers.
Speaking to Awake News, the Coordinator of the 1st West Africa Peace Dialogue and Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Peace Building, Korsi Senyo said the support from the University a sign that the institution is committed to promoting peace and development in Africa adding that the gesture of the University should be emulated by other state institutions, media organizations and corporate bodies to help bring peace and development to Africa.
The Dialogue which is on the theme “Sustaining Regional Peace To Promote Trade, Investment and Development in West Africa” is being organized by pro-peace civil society organizations, the Africa Centre for Peace Building, Global Educators for All Initiatives, The Emmanuel Ivorgba Foundation and United Religions Initiatives -West Africa with media partnership from the AMN (publishers of Awake Newspaper & Awake Africa Magazine), GHface.com and FNnewsroom.com
The event seeks to “explore how best citizens of the West African states can promote sisterhood, peace and trade for the development of the people whiles taking into account national laws and international treaties.”
Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Peace Building-AFCOPB, Korsi Senyo in an earlier press statement copied Awake News said “In recent times, Africa is experiencing a new trend of conflict – homophobic attacks which were witnessed in South Africa. The most recent is Ghana and Nigeria trade feud and this development if not curb will become a serious threat to Africa Unity.”
“We, as organizations with a strong foundation built on the principles of peace and harmony see peaceful co-existence among neighbouring nations is a key element to promoting trade, investment and human capital development which lead to solving some basic social problems like unemployment, poverty and hunger. These social problems are an influential undertone to conflict and civil unrest.” – he said
Mr. Senyo noted that “adherence to national laws without key references to regional treaties signed by states within the region could form a basis for regional conflicts hence defeating the common goals for establishing regional blocs in Africa.”
On the format of the event, he said “The dialogue will have keynote addresses and panel discussions where speakers and high personalities will be assembled from the business community, law, media, academia and governments to discuss specific areas. This will have the opportunity for participants to interact with the speakers and panellists on the issues.”
“The second section will focus on research paper presentation where researchers who have done some works on the areas of such conflicts will help find some of underpinning factors to such conflict and how they can be resolved.”
He has since called on the media, corporate bodies to support the programme.
“We use to use this media to call on the media, corporate bodies and development partners within the West Africa sub-region and beyond to support this dialogue.”