The Upper East Regional Peace Council is urging Ghanaians to look beyond financial contributions when discussing peacebuilding, saying everyday interactions, relationships, and individual conduct can either strengthen or undermine peace.
The Principal Programmes Manager of the Regional Peace Council, David Atualing Angaamba, said this on A1 Radio during the World Peace Day observance.
Speaking in connection with the theme, he said the theme for World Peace Day 2026-“Invest in Peace–For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day”–requires individuals to examine their own contribution to peace.
According to him, investing in peace includes giving one’s time, knowledge, relationships, and other resources to promote peaceful coexistence.
“It doesn’t require just money, even though money is necessary and important. But we’re talking about your time, we’re talking about your knowledge, we’re talking about your relationships, we’re talking about your interactions and other resources,” he said.
Mr Angaamba said people must become more conscious of how they interact with others because daily relationships form the foundation of peaceful communities.
He urged individuals to pause and consider whether their actions and communication contribute to peace, particularly when dealing with disagreements.
According to him, people are often quick to blame others when conflicts arise without reflecting on their own role in escalating tensions.
“Sometimes as human beings we are quick to blame others, that this person is the root cause of this conflict or this problem I am going through. But sometimes we don’t pause to reflect on our own,” he said.
Mr Angaamba also described the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Catholic Diocesan Development Organisation (NABOCADO) as a strong partner of the Peace Council in conflict prevention and peacebuilding.
He credited the organisation with mobilising resources and supporting peacebuilding interventions in communities affected by conflict.
He specifically cited the Doba-Kandiga conflict, saying NABOCADO’s resource mobilisation, together with the technical support of the Peace Council and traditional mediation structures, contributed to the peace currently prevailing in the area.
“In the Doba-Kandiga conflict today, we are all enjoying the peace prevailing; it is their initiative,” he said.
Mr Angaamba said the Peace Council hopes the conflict will remain in the past and that the community will not experience renewed tensions.
He also acknowledged the contributions of other civil society organisations supporting peacebuilding efforts in the region.
For the Peace Council, however, sustaining peace requires more than intervening after conflict erupts.
Mr Angaamba said individuals must recognise that their daily conduct and relationships are themselves investments in peace.
He therefore urged the public to make conscious choices in their homes, workplaces and communities that strengthen dialogue, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Source: Bolgafmonline.com| 102.7 MHz| Bolgatanga
