Last Quarter Events

Peacebuilding in Western Gambia

• Enhancing Economic Stability and Social Unity in the Western Division of the Gambia (ESSU): This project, which is implemented by Concern Universal (CU) saw a significant increase in activity across all aspects of the program, but particularly in the areas of cross-border conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and rehabilitation of infrastructure. Concern Universal and its partners recently held a series of peacebuilding events in border communities in Gambia, to which many Gambians are returning from Senegal's Casamance region. Thousands of people were gathered together over several weeks to promote reconciliation, healing, dialogue, and celebration of local people and culture. Community members reported to us that many rebels came out from the camps to participate and spoke with others to say how much they have missed the enjoyment of communal life and public celebration. Others reported that the events allowed them to resolve or forget many conflicts that existed previously in their communities. Several partners on the ESSU project are engaged with other CU development initiatives, which complement the goals and objectives of ESSU program activities and therefore open up new opportunities to target communities, particularly in the area of enterprise development.

  Cultural Rally in Western Gambia

  
  

• WANEP Participates in Third Tripartite Meeting of an ECOWAS Technical Working Group (TWG): The TWG is composed of representatives from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), UNDP, and WANEP itself. The TWG is addressing the critical issue of rendering operational ECOWAS Mechanism on Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peace and Security. Representatives from the Southern African Development Cooperation (SADC) also attended the meeting. The meeting revised the program for the TWG and set a time frame for its implementation. The assessment of ECOWAS' current conflict prevention mechanism/training needs and capacities conducted in the second quarter of Year 1 was revised to bring it in line with ECOWAS's own current capacity-building issues. The first training/consultation workshop to assist in developing the ECOWAS Conflict Early Warning System took place in May in Elmina, Ghana. Representatives from civil society, regional peacebuilding organizations, and ECOWAS met to develop the initial modalities and procedures for the conflict early warning system.
  

• WANEP and the Sahel and West Africa Club: WANEP participated in a meeting of the Sahel and West Africa Club (SWAC) to finalize the work plan of the Club as well as agree on Terms of Reference that will guide its work in 2004. Some of the key activities to be undertaken include a forum on political parties and the media; a meeting of mayors of the cities of Bobo Dioulasso, Korhogo, and Sikasso with local actors of civil society in Korhogo, Côte d'Ivoire. Another activity will be a forum for women. By Stren