YPS-Africa launches conflict resolution project
Youth Peace Security-Africa (YPS-Africa), a non-governmental organisation has launched a project dubbed: “Vision 2026,” aimed to engage 50 per cent of African youth actively to prevent and resolve violent conflicts in Africa by 2026.
As a direct counter to the continual increase in engagement of the youth destructively by terrorists, rebels and bad-politicians; YPS-Africa is expanding its concept of inclusive and inexpensive prevention and resolution of violent-bloody conflicts and crime across Africa through Vision 2026.
Mr Abraham Korbla Klutsey, Executive Director of YPS-Africa addressing a news conference in Accra said continuous rise in violent-bloody conflicts and crimes remained a common threat to dreams and aspirations, hence real actions must be taken to address the challenges.
Mr Klutsey said many African countries were experiencing political, economic and social instability because of violent-bloody conflicts, as innocent people were being butchered, tortured, stoned or shot dead daily.
According to Mr Klutsey, during the nine-year project, it would inculcate a culture of duty, consciousness, sense of volunteerism, nationalism, patriotism and responsiveness in all citizens to prevent and resolve violent and crimes in their communities.
Mr Klutsey said the project also sought to curtail the upsurge of terrorist organisations and armed insurgents in Africa as well as to discourage and reduce the rate of proliferation of small arms and locally manufactured guns in conflict prone areas and among the youth.
He said the project would encourage and create a partnership of trust and friendship between citizens and state security agencies in combating crimes.
He said in his book titled “Peacebuilding at the Edge of Death,” it addressed the dangerous challenges that confronted peace in the communities of Alavanyo and Nkonya.
Inspector Dzeh Kwasi Worlanyo, of the Legon District Criminal Investigation Department said there was mistrust and lack of cooperation between the state institutions and the citizens when it came to crime combat as a result of varied reasons.
This he said included the “we and them” attitude, absence of patriotism, reward mentality fear and insecurity and lack of or inadequate civic education on crime and the role of security agencies.
He added that to create trust and friendship between the security agencies and the citizens so as to successfully combat crime “there is the need for the two bed mates that is the state security and citizens to see each other as partners rather than competitions.
“There is the need to do away with reward mentality so that people will become selfless in ensuring the security and safety of other in whatever capacity they are required
“Citizens who lack adequate capacity to protect themselves against criminals must have the assurance from the state security agencies of their safety as they partner the state to combat crime.
“Intensive civic education by becoming ambassador of disseminating information that security agencies are our partners but no the ‘we and them’ syndrome, “he said.
YPS-Africa established in 2012 seeks to build sustainable and networked associations of people and information with active engagement of youth in peace building; encouragement and facilitation of graduate and rural youth entrepreneurship.
It also advocates human rights, and justice for the prevention, management, and resolution of violent conflicts and crimes in Africa.
Source: GNA