From July 22 to 26, 2023, representatives of the Ukrainian Community of Dialogue Practitioners participated in an exchange program between Ukrainian experts and representatives of the West African Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), based in the Republic of Ghana. This event was organized with the support of CMI - Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, with the aim of exchanging knowledge and experience and establishing cooperation between Ukrainian peace experts and their West African counterparts.
During the visit, the participants of the Community visited the National Peace Council of Ghana, the National Centre for Coordination of Early Warning and Response Mechanism (NCCRM), and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Accra, Ghana. They learned about the history, missions, and operational rules of these organizations and shared Ukrainian practices. Natalia Bezkhlibna, Alyona Gorova, Angela Starovoitova, and Pavlo Kozeletskyi participated in the trip and shared their impressions and insights from the visit.
Ghana is the birthplace of Kofi Annan, one of the most renowned peacekeepers in the world. For the members of the Community, who also work in the field of peacebuilding, it was inspiring to be immersed in this culture and to discuss and structure effective approaches based on the experiences of their countries. They also had the opportunity to inform their colleagues about the situation in Ukraine and the importance of international support.
It was emphasized that Ukrainians are committed to building a just and lasting peace, not “peace at any cost.” The Ukrainian delegation also highlighted that the Russian-Ukrainian war is existential, underscoring the need to understand the foundational values of their struggle and to seek strong support from various countries, including African nations.
During the event, the Ukrainian representatives were impressed by the deep understanding of the situation in Ukraine and the absence of pro-Russian narratives among the staff of the Kofi Annan Training Centre. Notably, the meeting began with a minute of silence in memory of those killed during the war in Ukraine. The key slogan of the organization is “peace and security,” with security being the primary value essential for maintaining peace in the country.
The Conflict Early Warning System, which operates in 15 West African countries, was particularly impressive; it is a sophisticated information-gathering tool that facilitates conflict prevention. The meeting with the National Peace Council, whose board consists of 13 representatives (each of the “thirteen eminent persons” represents a religious denomination, civil society organization, or the President), also underscored the importance of integrating security and peace into public administration processes and civic engagement.
The experience gained provided the members of the Community with new ideas that can be applied in Ukraine, such as the creation of training courses for the military and law enforcement, projects for interaction between representatives of different social groups, opinion leaders, and religious figures, the development of monitoring and early warning systems for conflict situations throughout the country, and tools for responding to them.
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