By Ndey Sowe
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has on Wednesday, 21st October 2020, launched a training manual on early warning, peace building paradigms and dispute resolution mechanisms.
UNFPA through the Peace Building Fund in September 2019 supported the training of trainers on early warning peace building mechanisms for effective dispute resolution for selected actors in the Gambia.
The training manual contains guidance on how to build the capacity of national trainers and facilitators in conducting standard training sessions on conflict resolution and peace building.
The event took place at the Senegambia Beach Hotel in Kololi.
Kunle Adeniyi, the UNFPA Gambia Country Representative said the training created a pool of trainers that have been capacitated to carry out step-down early warning peace building training.
He added that the purpose of the manual is to help build the capacity of national trainers and facilitators to understand issues around conflict resolution and peace building in the country.
“With the upcoming 2021 electoral cycle, it is indeed timely that standard training on early warning and peace building is adopted and embedded. This is the reasoning behind the development of this manual we are here to launch today”, he said.
Assan Tangara, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Interior remarked that the United Nations through its agencies such as UNFPA continued to demonstrate strong commitment to supporting the government, civil society organizations and peace building practitioners in efficiently contributing to the stabilization agenda of The Gambia.
Saraphine Wakana, the United Nations Resident Coordinator noted that the training fulfills one of the recommendations from the Conflict and Development Analysis Report of 2019, with emphasis on the need to mainstream a process-oriented methodology with gender, conflict management and dispute resolution resource for peace building and conflict management practitioners.
Bakary Sonko, from the National Youth Parliament is one of the beneficiaries, who commended the UN agencies especially UNFPA through WANEP for the support and for providing them with such a comprehensive training.
Salama Njie, National Network Coordinator WANEP took through a presentation on the approach and methodology of the manual, and said the manual is designed for five day training sessions.
She added that the manual is divided into four sections such as: Conflict Concepts, Conflict Early Warning, Conflict Analysis and Dispute Resolution Mechanisms.
