Accra: ProNet North, a non-government organisation (NGO), has engaged the chiefs and people of the Dorimon community in the Wa West District to promote peaceful co-existence, social cohesion, and conflict prevention. The engagement forms part of efforts to foster community development.
According to Ghana News Agency, the engagement was held under the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)-funded Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) project. It sought to empower local governance structures, encourage inclusive dialogue, and strengthen community resilience to sustain peace and stability.
Addressing the community forum, Mr. Donaldbin Suntaa Sena, Project Officer at ProNet North, emphasized that peace is a prerequisite for development, highlighting that no community can progress in an atmosphere of violence and division. He stated, “Violence and development are far apart like the distance between heaven and earth. You cannot have development if you entertain violence or live without peace.”
Mr. Sena urged the people of Dorimon to embrace social cohesion and use communal gatherings such as funerals, weddings, and naming ceremonies as opportunities to build unity and foster strong interpersonal relationships. He also called on the community leaders to adopt a human rights-based approach to development and ensure that all members are included in decision-making processes concerning the community’s growth. “Exclusion can lead to dissatisfaction, which may push some people into actions that can undermine the peace and social harmony of the community,” he cautioned.
Mr. Sena also encouraged the people to consider government development projects as their right and to actively monitor their proper implementation. The community members acknowledged that inclusion and respect for minority groups are crucial to promoting peaceful co-existence and the community’s development. The residents also cited an instance when inadequate consultation and non-inclusive decision-making had led to the abandonment of certain facilities, including a toilet facility constructed by the government some years ago.
Mr. Emmanuel Jebuni, Roman Catholic Catechist at the community, said sustaining peace requires deliberate community effort, urging the residents to avoid gossip and resolve misunderstandings amicably. Naa Nuhu Abudu Mumuni, Kupara-Naa, underscored the need for mutual respect and empathy in maintaining peace. He said, “Peaceful co-existence is built on the principle of not doing to others what you wouldn’t want done to you.”
Madam Mariam Daari, a Women’s Leader at Dorimon, appealed to the government to create job opportunities for the youth, noting that unemployment remains a major threat to peace in the community. She mentioned, “Some girls and young women in the community are forced into early marriages due to economic hardship and lack of hope for employment. If they had livelihood opportunities, they wouldn’t have to migrate to the south for menial jobs.”
The PBF project, being implemented by ProNet North in six communities across the Wa West and Sissala West Districts, aims to address the underlying causes of conflict and violent extremism by promoting inclusive dialogue and strengthening local governance systems for sustainable peace and development.