Leaders in all spheres of society have been urged to acquire mediation skills to enable them to act as mediators to ensure peace in communities, groups and organisations.
That, according to Mrs Joana Osei-Tutu, Head of Women, Peace and Security Institute (WPSI) at the Kofi Annan International Peace-Keeping Centre, has become critical in ensuring that leaders also effectively performed their duties as peace-builders.
“All leaders need mediation skills and need to act as mediators to address difficult situations,” she said.
Interacting with ADR Daily at the end of a day’s mediation training workshop in Accra for queenmothers and other female leaders in the country, Mrs Osei-Tutu stressed that “mediation has always been a helpful tool in resolving conflicts and bringing about peace.”
Female leaders in particular, she explained, need mediation skills to enable them to play their conflict resolution role in society more effectively.
“Mediation has proven to be an ideal tool in fostering peace and security in conflict prone areas. And it is essential that leaders around the world including women leaders practice mediation in their everyday activities,” she said.
Touching on the objectives of the training which was facilitated by the WPSI, she said it aimed at equipping female leaders with the requisite mediation knowledge and skills.
That is to help them to successfully mediate and resolve disputes in their communities so as to prevent conflicts.
The workshop is under the auspices of the Initiative for mediation training for commonwealth women in peacebuilding launched at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in April 2018, with support from the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID).
Mrs Osei-Tutu explained that the WPSI obliged to facilitate this training because it was in line with the Institute’s goal of increasing women’s participation in peace negotiations and preventive diplomacy as well as increasing women’s leadership roles in peacekeeping activities.
“The workshop offered women leaders relevant skills in mediation which would further allows us to realize the United UN Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 which calls for more women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, peace building, peacekeeping and humanitarian response.”
Prof Irene Odotei, Founder of the Council of Women Traditional Leaders (CWTL), lauded the mediation initiative by CHOGM, saying it would help indigenous traditional female leaders who do not have basic skills in conflict resolution but are constantly called on to help settle disputes.
“Queen mothers and other women leaders in the community have very little knowledge on the importance of mediation in conflict resolution and are unable to effectively resolve disputes that are brought to them,” she added.
By: Fred Gadese-Mensah/adrdaily.com
