Africa-Press – Gambia. A four-day-training on leadership and peace-building for youth, women, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) has recently kicked off in Kerewan, North Bank Region.
The training was organized by The West Africa Network for Peace-building (WANEP), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funded by the UN Peace-building Fund.
The program, currently underway in Kerewan, focuses on strategic leadership and foundational peace-building skills. It aims to equip participants with modern tools for conflict transformation, inclusive dialogue, mediation, conflict resolution, and effective community advocacy.
The multi-session initiative is designed to strengthen the capacity of emerging leaders, with attention to the social and political context of The Gambia, ensuring that skills are practical and locally relevant.
Ms. Salama Njie, National Network Coordinator of WANEP-The Gambia, emphasized the importance of building capacity in peace-building. She highlights that the program promotes experience sharing on conflict management, mediation techniques, early warning, and reporting systems. “The initiative seeks to contribute to sustainable peace, social cohesion, and inclusive governance in The Gambia by enhancing the leadership and peace-building capacities of youth, women, and persons with disabilities,” she said.
Ms. Njie reassured that WANEP-The Gambia would continue to empower local actors to play meaningful roles in community-level peace-building and inclusive development.
The training covers interconnected themes, guiding participants from high-level conflict analysis to practical advocacy campaign execution. Participants critically explored conflict dynamics in the Gambian context, identifying local sources of tension and examining contemporary examples.
Governor Lamin Saidykhan expressed gratitude to WANEP and its development partners for complementing government’s efforts in peace-building and conflict management. He noted that the training would contribute to the 2026 electoral cycle by promoting political and religious tolerance, the rule of law, and peaceful elections.
Haruna Kuyateh, WANEP’s North Bank Region Focal Person, highlighted that capacity development in peace, social cohesion, and inclusive governance is crucial. He stated that the training prepared participants to strengthen civic spaces, facilitate dialogue, and promote community consultations to enhance peace and security.
The program also focuses on strategic advocacy and campaign planning for youth. Participants were trained in setting smart advocacy goals, stakeholder mapping, and creating comprehensive action plans for social change initiatives.
Ngui Secka, Chairperson of the North Bank Region Insider Mediation Team, described the training as critical for consolidating peace and security. She urged all participants to act as goodwill ambassadors and promote inclusive citizen participation in peace-building and conflict management alongside traditional mediation teams.
Key areas of the training include: understanding conflict in the Gambian context, conflict transformation, non-violent communication, inclusive peace-building approaches, early warning mechanisms, hate speech prevention, dialogue and mediation.
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