A Concept Paper PUT TOGETHER BY THE DIOCESE OF NAVRONGO-BOLGATANGA THROUGH THE GOOD GOVERNANCE JUSTICE AND PEACE DIRECTORATE IN COLLABORATION WITH MILLAR INSTITUTE FOR TRANSDISCIPLINARY AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES (MITDS) INTENDED AS A WORKING DOCUMENT TO KICK-START DIALOGUES AND DISCOURSES ON THE BAWKU CONFLICT TOWARDS PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF THE CONFLICT IN THE BAWKU ENCLAVE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: A Concept Paper “Without Peace there is no Meaningful Development and without Meaningful Development there is no Future…..” 1.0 PRELUDE This piece is put together from a Development Lens and not so much from a Governance Lens. Governance here is as relevant as it plays a key role in contemporary development; as captured in the current Decentralization Model adopted for Ghana; where Chiefs are Key Stakeholders especially at the District Assembly Level but even more so at the Unit Committee Levels (Fridy and Myers, 2019; Mensah et al., 2024; Baazeng and Dery, 2024; Kuupiel, 2024). The various minds contacted at the preliminary phase of putting this idea to paper are concerned citizens (Elders, Chiefs, Various Fonctionnaires) who are increasingly getting worried about the amounts that is spent in ensuring that people can still live in Bawku. This concern is in tandem with concerns about the spillover effects of the disagreement into other parts of the Country, and the potential for opportunistic incursions from the neighboring Countiries – cross-border disturbances. Leveraging on these expressed concerns and the numerous pieces of advice that was freely given; and an overwhelming need, identified by the people themselves, to have window of opportunity to meet and dialogue on the way to resolve their differences and proffering solutions to their own challenges, this paper is initiated. These silent voices that are often not heard in the open, these few citizens and the concerned actors of the north contacted, are calling for something on the table that they can all be seeing to be contributing to. Hence, or otherwise, this zero-draft position to kick-start constructive conversations is being tabled for consideration by all. The conversations might lead to immediate resolution of the Bawku situation or evolve into a roadmap to peace, or might turn out to be a white elephant/ non-starter. Not preempting the outcomes, it is part of the foreseen that the process could take a couple of months or even years; to get transformed into an acceptable product. If it fails to deliver on its intentions, posterity and history would remember us as concerned citizens of the area that made an effort to contribute to resolving the Bawku impasse. 2.0 EXPERIENCES OF THE NAVRONGO-BOLGATANGA DIOCESE 2.1 What was done over the period as regards the Bawku Conflict Background and Context of Project The Diocese of Navrongo-Bolgatanga through the Good Governance Justice and Peace Directorate has been engaged in peacebuilding and conflict prevention in the Diocese for a very long time. The Diocese has been contributing to peacebuilding efforts in different parts of the Diocese in a piece meal form. However, a more coherent approach was adopted when the Directorate was established in 2014 to focus on peacebuilding, conflict prevention, justice, security and humanitarian response issues. Through the Nunciature, CRS Ghana, the Diocese initiated in peacebuilding efforts in the Eastern Corridor of the Diocese (Bawku Conflict, Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo etc). With funding from MISEREOR, the directorate has been active in peacebuilding in the Corridor since 2014. NABOCADO has undertaken the following in the Bawku Conflict Through the Bishop; held Dialogue sessions with the key actors in Bawku (led by Chief Samuel Bugri (Mamprusi and Chief James from Kusasi). This facilitated process culminated in the agreement of the parties to have the Okro burial and a tentative date agreed on by the parties. A budget was received by the parties requesting for support from the Diocese. While preparations were being done by the Diocese, the process was truncated by unguarded pronouncement by a prominent member from one of the parties at a programme in Garu. This effectively stalled the process and attempts to revive the process was unsuccessful as the Mamprusi representative was evasive and stopped responding to the invitation by the Bishop. Note that the okro burial, a traditional mediation process would have committed, traditionally, the parties in Bawku to cease fire on violence. Sustained Accompaniment with Community Peace Structures (Community Peace Agents/CPAs and Justice and Peace Committees/JPC): The INPEACE project funded by MISEREOR of Germany continued to engage and train 95 (65M, 30F) CPAs and 21 (16M,5F) JPCs in two districts with tools in conflict prevention and peacebuilding. The participants were refreshed with skills in dialogue, negotiation, conflict analysis, resolution and conflict sensitive planning. These skills enabled CPAs and JPCs to track conflict related incidents arising in communities and respond appropriately. They are also able to analyze the shifting power dynamics in communities including government authorities, traditional leaders and religious leaders. Promoting Youth-Leadership led Discussions on Social Cohesion and Peaceful Co-existence Our focus with youth in leadership in the conflict areas served to achieve two things: develop conflict resolution skills in youth and develop youth role models as entry points in institutions where some of the youth work. Fifty-two (52) youth leaders and assembly members were trained in two districts of Bunkpurugu-Nakpanduri and Yunyoo districts. 5 Promoting Young Peacebuilders through Radio and Activism-This focused on empowering young person under the School Peace Club (SPCs) model. The project provided young people with training in radio-based peace education and community mobilization for coordinated activities. Members of the SPCs have been equipped with skills to talk on peace and find common ground to co-exist in schools and communities with sharp divisions along ethnic lines. 6 Strengthening District level stakeholder engagements for Development-The INPEACE project facilitated an interfacing platform for skills development and advocacy for key local government staff and assembly members on non-violent approach to peacebuilding. The platform provided skills in conflict sensitive planning, conflict resolution and advocacy
