News

The UNESCO Office in Bamako organized, from 4 to 7 June 2018 in Ségou, a workshop on the development of the Training and Activity Planning Manual of the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) Program, called "Young Actors for Peace and National Reconciliation". The program aims to actively involve young people in the implementation process of the Agreement for Peace and National Reconciliation in Mali.

The opening ceremony was chaired over by Mr. Mohamed Elmehdi Ag Moulou, in charge of mission at the Ministry of National Reconciliation and Social Cohesion, with him, Pierre Saye, representative of the UNESCO Head of Office in Bamako, and some twenty participants from the Ministries of Youth and Citizen Construction; National Reconciliation and Social Cohesion; National Education; the Promotion of Women, Children and Families and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), as well as resource persons.

In his speech, Mr Ag Moulou thanked UNESCO for its support to the implementation of the peace and national reconciliation agreement. He recalled that the workshop was held in the logical continuation of the efforts of the Government and its partners in the search for peace and stability in Mali for the well-being of the people.

Mr. Saye recalled that young people are at the heart of the 2030 agenda with its sustainable development goals and that UNESCO is acting on all fronts to support them as a key actor at the local level, national and global levels. According to Mr. Saye, despite young people who are vulnerable to radicalization and violent extremism, humanitarian crises also affect women and girls who are at risk of sexual exploitation and abuse. "Aware that no society will prosper and no peace agreement will last unless women and girls are empowered to take action on peacebuilding and reconstruction, the PBF places this imperative at the center of all the efforts that the Government, the entire United Nations system and all peace actors have made to address fragilities, conflicts and violence, "he stressed.

During four days of work, the exchanges, which took place in a participatory and interactive atmosphere, led to the elaboration of a draft training manual for trainers of the project "Young Actors for Peace and National Reconciliation" with modules on conflict management, citizenship, intercultural dialogue, democracy, gender and GBV( Violence Based on Gender) and cross-border trafficking. During the work, the participants also identified and validated, with the implementing partners, the activities as well as the implementation schedule and defined the roles and responsibilities of the parties involved in the implementation of the project.

Press briefing

A press briefing was held at the end of the workshop. The occasion was used to further inform the media in Ségou about the activities planned under the PBF program, but also about UNESCO's role in the implementation of the peace agreement and national reconciliation.

Mr. Saye said that the role of the media is of paramount importance, in an approach of synergy of action essential in the context of the upcoming elections. "The involvement of everyone, especially local communities, communities and the State, is the essential credo for peace in Mali," he insisted.

Funded to the tune of 1.4 billion FCFA by the Peacebuilding Fund of the Stabilization and Recovery Section of MINUSMA, this program aims to strengthen the commitment of young people and women as peace actors in order to strengthen social cohesion, community dialogue, living together and developing the potential of young people. The project, which will last 18 months, will be implemented in 25 municipalities in the Ségou and Mopti regions, benefiting 3,400 direct beneficiaries, including 2,500 young women and men, and 900 women.

Link:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/155712355@N08/sets/72157696016296151

URL:

https://en.unesco.org/news/peacebuilding-programs-mali-planning-activities-has-been-developed-participatory-way