elcome to WANEP

News, a quarterly E-WNewsletter of the

West Africa Network for

Peacebuilding, (WANEP). It will

provide substantive information on

our work in a breezy yet

informative style, detailing the

communities we serve, the

principles underpinning our work

and our key achievements. WANEP

News is a platform to keep our key

partners and major stakeholders

abreast with our intervention

strategies towards promoting a

peaceful environment in the

region and beyond and the key

lessons from the field.

As always with our tradition

and in the spirit of

partnership, networking and

community ownership,

WANEP News will also

feature collaborative

efforts with tactical

partners in achieving

peaceful co-existence as

an avenue for experience

sharing and best

practices. We will also

highlight WANEP’s social

events and Teambuilding

strategies in both

narrative and pictorial

formats.

WANEP News is telling our

story our own way!

Happy Reading!

WANEP NewsN EA PW

B

eu cil ad ein Pg r R ofe l sa pt iio hns

An in-house publication of WANEP-Regional First Edition, Dec 2013

WANEP NewsThe Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) and the

West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) engaged partners, a

delegation from Côte d’Ivoire, ECOWAS, and other governmental

organizations on the need for urgent conflict prevention measures in Côte

d’Ivoire at a

Preventive

A c t i o n

conferenc

e held on

Novembe

r 12, 2013

in Accra,

Ghana.

T h e

m e e t i n g

took place on the margin of the International Steering Group, ISG, meeting

hosted by WANEP in its capacity as the Regional secretariat of GPPAC. The

conference was an avenue to explore West African mechanisms and capacities

for conflict prevention in the current regional context, with particular attention

to Côte d’Ivoire. The 2011 political crisis in Côte d’Ivoire has resulted in armed

confrontations, loss of lives and over 100,000 displaced persons.

The Ivorian delegation to the conference identified vital issues such as lack of

national consensus, detention of political prisoners, and confiscation of

properties as factors exacerbating the Ivorian situation and call for an inclusive

n a t i o n a l

d i a l o g u e ,

establishment of

p e a c e

infrastructures,

an d e l e c to ra l

reforms as part of

strategy to tackle

the situation.

Participants to

the conference

i n c l u d e d

representatives

from diverse civil

s o c i e t y

o r g a n i z a t i o n s

f r o m t h e 1 5

GPPAC member

organizations among others.

WANEP Holds Global Conference

Members of the International Steering Group (ISG) including WANEP staff andother participants at the conference

Above, WANEP Executive Director, Mr. Emmanuel Bombande making a presentation.Below, a cross-section of participants at the Preventive Action Conference

Page 2

“Children Hardest Hit in Conflict” he West African region is in a dispensation of social violence. This violence, sweeps social identity, giving a picture

of gloom in which children and youth were exploited and used as pawns to sustain the war as was witnessed in

Sierra Leone and Liberia where more than 40,000 child soldiers were recruited to fight the senseless wars. TConflicts and wars in West Africa have left young people vulnerable. There is growing research and documentation on

the impact of violent conflict on children, especially, how the participation in armed conflict affects their

s u b sequent behavior. Although exact figures are not available, it is however, estimated that

thousands of young people, especially children are separated from families in Africa’s

many conflict zones and may never be reunited with their families again. This

dislocation erodes societal and family values and often leads to collapse of school

systems in most cases.

Despite the proliferation of wars and its negative impacts on young people in the sub

region, they are rarely involved in finding solutions to conflicts s i m p l y

because they generally lack the skills and capability to make meanin

gful contributions. WANEP recognizes that when young p e o

p l e a r e informed and empowered, they can become agents of change and could det

ermine their own fate and the fate of their respective nations.

The ECOWAS Council of Ministers, on Dec 3, 2012 adopted a report of its ministers of

education that will ensure the introduction of peace studies in the school curriculum in the

sub-region. The notion of peace can only be appreciated to the extent that the individual e x p

eriences it. A culture of non-violence is imperative and sustainable peace in the sub-region depen

ds on individuals possessing the knowledge and skills to use non-violent means to deal with conf l i c t s

and also having the space and opportunity to promote the use of these non-violent conflict resolution skills. Peace

education imparts in the youth not only a new way of thinking and seeing conflict, but also a new behavior that could

give them the ability to work better together, to change the structures and cultural practices in the society that deepens

violence thus creating an atmosphere of sustainable peace in their country in the future.

Mr. Emmanuel Bombande,Executive Director, WANEP

“Early Warning is a way of life”xcellences, colleagues of the peace and security

sector, men and women of the pen profession, Edistinguished ladies and gentlemen

Permit me to stand on the existing protocols and join

earlier speakers in congratulating ECOWAS and

particularly the Early Warning Directorate under the

able leadership of the Acting Director, Madam Iheme

and her team for yet another giant stride.

When ECOWAS visualizes and speaks of ECOWAS of the

peopl e, we can already testify that it is indeed working as you

continue to provide the space for the state and its citizens to work together in

designing the future of this region. Over the years, early warning as a concept has

been confronted with the questions of demonstration of results and impacts and in

some instances partners supporting early warning programs have had to pull out for

this reason. Unfortunately such partners and pessimists did not know that early

warning is not a program but a way of life. Today the dynamism have changed and more than ever before, everyone

sings the early warning song with goodwill to support the process.

There is no gainsaying the fact that the ECOWAS early warning mechanism has helped to shape this new global

discourse and paradigm shift and we hope that the member states gathered here today will run with this lofty idea of

national early warning mechanism, own and posses it. We believe that it will help to shape the peace and security

landscape of our region and help all of us realize the ECOWAS community of our dream.

Finally, excellences ladies and gentlemen, as the ECOWAS implementing partner for the operationalization of the early

warning mechanism, we take pride in what we have achieved together and look forward to our continued partnership

especially in how we ensure the decentralization process in all the member states.

Good

will message

by Mr. Chukwuemeka

Eze at the ECOWAS

Consultative meeting on

the establishment of a

National Early

Warning

mechanism

Excerpts from

a paper presented

by Mr. Bombande at

the launch of the

Peace Education

Guide

Page 3

EVENTS… EVENTS… EVENTSANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONSTwo national networks; WANEP-Cote

d’Ivoire and WANEP-Gambia marked 10

years anniversary with pomp and

pageantry in September. The event was

a platform for stock-taking and to

evaluate the networks' contribution to

peace and security in their countries.

WANEP-CI event was witnessed by a

delegation from WANEP Regional led

by Mrs. Esther Gordon-Mensah,

Administrative Manager, who delivered

an address on behalf of the Executive

Director.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACEAs part of strategies to promote a

culture of peace and encourage all

organizations to undertake practical

a s p e c t s o f p e a c e , W A N E P

commemorated the World Peace Day

on September 21, 2013 tagged;

“Education for Peace,” with a press

release. The release commended on-

going efforts of government, inter-

governmental and other well-meaning

organizations in the promotion of peace

and stability in the region and stressed

the importance of Peace Education as a

necessary tool for fostering values that

promote a culture of tolerance in the

society.

WANEP APPOINTS LIAISON

OFFICER FOR ECOWASMr. Constant Gncadja has been

appointed as the new Liaison Officer to

the ECOWAS Early Warning Directorate

at the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja,

Nigeria. WANEP being the civil society

implementing partner of the ECOWAS

Early Warning and Response Network

(ECOWARN), the Liaison officer will

ensure effective coordination of CSOs

early warning and response at all levels

and relate with WANEP/ECOWAS

partners.

He will also improve on the interface

between ECOWAS, and other CSOs on

issues of peace and human security.

WAPI 2013 SESSIONWANEP in partnership with KAIPTC held the 12th training session of the West

Africa Peacebuilding Institute (WAPI) from September 2 to 20, 2013 at

KAIPTC. 50 participants comprising 24 females and 26 males from 14

countries across Africa representing various organisations and institutions

including African Union, ECOWAS and state security agencies participated in

the 2013 session.

BOOK LAUNCHOn November 12, 2013, the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP)

launched the latest of its publications; the Election Dispute Management

Guide—Training Manual. The launch took place during the Preventive Action

Conference and in the presence of key partners and strategic stakeholders

including representatives of governmental and inter-governmental

organizations. The Manual was adapted from the WANEP Election Dispute

Management Guide.

An Implementation Guideline on Peace Education for Formal Schools in

West Africa was officially launched by the Malian Minister of Education on

August 21, 2013 in Accra, Ghana witnessed by representatives from ECOWAS

member states Ministries of Education, UNDP, UNICEF, EU, and Foreign

Embassies in Ghana including Civil Society Organizations across West Africa.

The Guideline is part of WANEP's contribution to support the

implementation of the declaration of ECOWAS Council of Ministers to

inculcate peace education in West African school curriculum towards the

entrenchment of sustainable peace in West Africa.

Page 4

FROM THE FIELD… FROM THE FIELDDIALOGUE AND MEDIATION TRAINING FOR ETHIOPIAN

DELEGATESWANEP in collaboration with the United Nations Development

Programme (UNDP) Ethiopia and Ghana divisions conducted three-

day training on Dialogue and Mediation for 14 delegates from state

institutions and civil society organizations in Ethiopia from June 17 to

19, 2013 at Sunlodge Hotel Accra, Ghana. The training geared

towards strengthening the skills of the delegates on dialogue and

mediation including conflict resolution techniques, and early-

warning to enable them effectively respond to conflict situations in

their country. Representatives of UNDP Ethiopia, Mr. Mekonnen Fisseha Alemu and Atkilt Daniel Gebretsadik on behalf of

the delegates, expressed satisfaction with the depth of topics covered, stating that it will aid the participants in their work

as they intend to also share the knowledge acquired.

WANEP/ECOWAS ANNUAL MEETINGIn the framework of WANEP/ECOWAS partnership in the

operationalization of the ECOWAS Early Warning System (ECOWARN),

the two organizations met from June 4 to 5, 2013 in Accra-Ghana. In

attendance at the meeting were the leadership of the ECOWAS Early

Warning Directorate including the Acting Director and the

management of WANEP. Major points of discourse at the meeting

included; sustaining WANEP/ECOWAS partnership, reactivation of the

WANEP Liaison Office in Abuja, Nigeria and implementation of joint

initiatives for the sustenance of ECOWARN . On the margins of the

meeting, the two institutions received a delegation of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

who made presentations on the Agency's strategic direction and possible areas of partnership between USAID, WANEP

and ECOWAS.

WANEP PARTICIPATES IN PEACE EDUCATION CONFERENCE WANEP in its capacity as a member of the Peace Education Working

Group of GPPAC was represented by the Communications and External

Relations Officer, Mr Francis Acquah-Aikins at the 6th International

Conference on Conflict Resolution Education (CRE) held in Ohio, USA on

the theme: Bridging Cultures: Education for Global Citizenship and Civic

Engagement, in June 2013. The conference hosted by the Cuyahoga

Community College in Cleveland, Ohio was organized in partnership

with the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC)

and other key stakeholders across the world. The conference was a platform to share WANEP's experiences on the peace

education programme especially, its work with community youth leaders on conflict prevention.

EIGHTH MSN MEETING HELD IN GERMANYThe Regional Coordinator Network Development, RCND< Mr.

Alimou Diallo represented WANEP at the Eighth MSN

meeting held in Berlin, Germany on June 24-26, 2013 under

the theme: “Mind the Gap: Linking High Level International

Mediation Initiatives with Local Peace Building Efforts.”

The meeting was hosted by the Berghof Foundation (BF) and

the Center for Peace Mediation (CPM). Discussions focused on

local and national ownership in mediation, lessons learned in

the development of National Infrastructures for Peace,

dialogue design processes and representation/inclusivity of

local actors.

Page 5

FROM THE FIELD… FROM THE FIELDELECTION MONITORING PERSONNEL GET

TRAININGMr Chukwuemeka Eze, WANEP Program Director has

commended the vital role the Electoral Management

Personnel play in the success of elections despite the

fact that in the course of their duties, the EMPs are

“often confronted with issues of conflict in managing

electoral processes which sometimes threaten the

confidence bestowed on them and may reflect in the

perception of the electoral outcome by the different

stakeholders.”

Mr Eze was speaking at a three-day training workshop

for high-level representatives of Election

Management Bodies, (EMBs) held in Accra-Ghana from November 5 to 7, 2013 for EMB personnel drawn from five

ECOWAS member States including; Benin, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Guinea and Senegal. The training was part of WANEP

contribution to the democratic stability and peace in the West African region.

EXPERTS BRAINSTORM ON GENDER BASED VIOLENCETop level Experts met in Washington, DC on

October 29, 2013 to brainstorm on the

imperatives of addressing gender based

violence, GBV, in the mediation process as a

strategy for achieving total peace and

reconciliation. Drawing from practical

experiences, the discussions centred on

challenges of including GBV in the peace

process, consequences of GBV on development

in West Africa, importance of justice for GBV

victims among others.

The meeting was organized by the Finland

Embassy and was attended by representatives from civil society, governmental and intergovernmental agencies,

ECOWAS, EU, World Bank and the US Department of State including Elisabeth Rehn, former Minister of Defense of

Finland and UN Under-Secretary-General; Betty Bigombe, Ugandan Minister for Water Resources; Ms Florence Iheme,

Ag. Director, Early Warning Directorate, ECOWAS; WANEP Program Director, Mr. Chukwuemeka Eze and Program Officer-

WIPNET, Ms Bijoue Kessia Onam-Birch among others. The experts brainstormed on the devastating consequences of

GBV, shared experiences in their work in this regard and proffer strategies for a lasting solution to GBV.

EXPERT MEETING ON UNSCR 1325The Regional Coordinator Programs (RCP), Ms

Queeneth Tawo represented WANEP at an Expert

meeting on Children Affected by War and the

implementation of UNSCR 1325 on Women, Peace

and Security held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on

September 17 to 19, 2013. The meeting was

organized by AU in collaboration with EU and World

Bank and was an avenue to share progress of

WANEP's work and achievement in the

implementation of UNSCR 1325 and to disseminate

WANEP publications including the Guidelines on the

implementation of the National Action Plans, NAPs

on UNSCR 1325.

Page 6

WANEP SOCIALS

WHO WE AREThe West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) was conceived in 1996 but formally launched in 1998. Unlike other

activist organisations, WANEP strategically chose to engage major actors, particularly government actors in a bid to

establish a platform for dialogue, experience sharing and learning, thereby, complementing efforts at ensuring

sustainable peace and development.

WANEP is a member of the Peace and Security cluster of the African Union’s (AU) Economic and Social Council –ECOSOCC

representing West Africa and also has a Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council

(ECOSOC). WANEP is the Regional Initiator and the current Chair of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed

Conflicts (GPPAC).

OUR GOALWANEP’s cardinal goal is to build sustainable peace, thereby creating an enabling environment for development in West

Africa.

WHAT WE DOWANEP work covers eight critical areas of intervention including;

Ÿ The West Africa Peacebuilding Institute (WAPI)

Ÿ West Africa Early Warning and Response Network, (WARN)

Ÿ Women in Peacebuilding (WIPNET)

Ÿ Non-violence and Peace Education, (NAPE)

Ÿ Civil Society Coordination and Democratic Governance Program, (CSDG)

Ÿ Responding to Conflicts through Dialogue

WHERE WE WORK

WANEP’s growth and influence has been phenomenal. After 15 years of peacebuilding practice, WANEP has grown to

become a household name in West Africa with national offices in all the ECOWAS Member countries, and over 500

member organisations spread all over WA.

WANEP END-OF-YEAR BALLA night of fun and laughter was the sure way to

end-the-year as the WANEP family gathered in a

show of love, unity and teamwork amidst

exchange of gifts. It was indeed a momentous

occasion with endless flow of food and choice

drinks!

Happy Birthdays to all the staff who marked their

birthdays in the following months;

Emmanuel Bombande June 12

Diana Adodo June 11

Vincent Azumah July 22

Bismark Beglah Sept 15

Chukwuemeka Eze Oct 9

William Darko Nov 11

Bijoue Kessia-Onam Birch Nov 16

Francis Acquah-Aikins Dec 16

Mfrekeobong Ukpanah Dec 31