Some participants at the programme
Correspondence from Northern Region
The Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has started training women in the Northern Region on preventing violent extremism in Tamale.
According to CRS, peace and security cannot be achieved without the role of women, as they are the first to see signs of radicalization in communities.
The one week training will explore the role women play in responding to and preventing threats of violent extremism in their communities and equip women with the skills on how to effectively collaborate with community members to identify and report on early signs of violent extremism.
Speaking at the opening of the training program in Tamale on Monday, Alisa Afusah Mogre, Program Manager- Youth, Peace Building and Social Cohesion at CRS, said women do not only notice the first signs of radicalization but are also usually the first to intervene with empathy and wisdom.
“Often, we’re the first to see signs of radicalization, the first to notice when something feels off and the first to intervene, often with empathy and wisdom,” she said.
Ms. Afusah Mogre highlighted the importance of women’s contribution to peace-building, noting that women’s contributions are essential in the fight against violent extremism.
“You are not here by accident; you’re here because your voices matter, your experiences are valid, and your contribution to peace-building is essential,” she said.
Ms Afusah Mogre added, “We’ll dive into some very tough but necessary conversations about violent extremism; the root causes, early warning signs and more importantly, the role women play in responding to and preventing these threats.”
On his part, Augustine Owusu, Head of Programmes, Peace and Security at the Kofi Annan International Peace-keeping Training Center, said although Ghana has not experienced any attacks as a result of violent extremism or terrorism, the country needs to continue to prepare against any attacks.
He said one of the reasons Ghana has been successful in the fight against violent terrorism was the resilience and commitment with which Ghanaian women have supported in the process.
“It is very easy to wonder why we are talking about violent extremism and terrorism in Ghana because we are not experiencing any violent extremists and terrorists, but it is also important to realize that Ghana is not special; we are not special. Why has it happened in Burkina Faso, Cote D’Ivoire and Togo? Part of what is special about us is the resilience and the commitment with which our women support this process, so women in this conversation are very important,” he stressed.
The Prevention of Violent Extremism Training Program for Women is funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the Catholic Relief Services’ Prevention of Violent Extremism Through Social Accountability (PoVETSA) II project.
Also, watch a compilation of today’s news in Twi here: