Cape Coast,– The Department of Peace Studies, University of Cape Coast (UCC), has launched a book in memory of the Late Francis Kojo Azuimah, First Executive Secretary of the National Peace Council (NPC).
The 19-chapter book, with more than 1000 pages, titled: “Towards Sustainable Peace in Ghana,” seeks to offer practical solutions to achieving lasting peace in the country and beyond, while projecting the passion, testament and vision of Francis Azuimah.
It was put together by the Peace and Development Research Group of the Department of Peace Studies, UCC.
Professor Stephen Kendie, the Chief Editor of the book, said Francis Azuimah was a hero whose work with the NPC was instrumental in finding solutions to many conflict spots across the country.
The NPC led several researches including the evaluation of its performance in selected hotpots during the 2016 elections, and in 2017 designed manuals on mediation strategies for the training of its field staff.
Another achievement, he said, was the research leading to the Conflict Mapping Book, published in 2014, which had generated international interest and had received five different delegations from five African countries to understudy how the research was done.
“These are only but a few I can mention, everybody testifies to the many commendable works he had done, to tell the world that maintaining peace is a collective exercise, which requires both patience and tolerance,” he added.
Speaking on ‘peace through tolerance,’ the Research Professor said attempting to see the world from another person’s lenses projected the virtue of tolerance and paved the way for clear heads with all dimensions of contribution.
Peace was not attained through terrorizing but through common sense and an objective position of the analyst, he stated, adding that such objectivity was often difficult to achieve in an increasingly complex society.
“We are encouraged to be peace makers and lovers because sustainable peace would transform disputants to be peace builders and peace ambassadors,” he said.
“It is for this reason that we invited a cross section of the society to this occasion with the hope that the book would be read and understood to allow some ideas featured in it to impact decisions going forward.”
Professor Jane Naana Opoku- Agyemang, the first female Vice Chancellor of UCC, hailed the Department of Peace Studies for being thoughtful and investing their time and resources into enriching ideas of the Ghanaian citizenry.
The book, she said, focused on the creation and dissemination of knowledge, and “this and many more is what happens when we have a learning University, we thank the editors for an excellent job done.”
Prof Opoku-Agyemang, also the Running Mate of former President John Dramani Mahama in the 2020 general election, said since peace was always about the quality of life, it must reflect in every discipline, regardless of the situation.
She urged all to embrace the idea of ensuring that peace was prioritised.
Mr George Amoh, the Executive Secretary of the NPC, said the Late Francis Azuimah had contributed significantly to the establishment and growth of the NPC and in every other discipline he served.
“Peace was his daily worry. He recommended the setting up of the inter-ethnic peace committee in Bawku and intervened in other conflict zones in the country. Today we are enjoying the peace that we had dreamed of for these areas,” he said.
To sustain the legacy of the NPC hero, Mr Amoh said the Council would remain resilient, guided, and focused in delivering to Ghanaians the peace they urgently desired for development.
Source: Ghana News Agency
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