THUHDEG: The Human Help & Development Group
Community-Building Peace Initiative
Central Gonja Children March for Peace
Written by WANEP
School Children in Yapei and Kusawgu in the Central Gonja District have embarked on a peaceful procession through some of the streets in the town to drum home the need for peace in the district. The Human Help and Development Group (THUDEG), a Tamale based NGO, dedicated to working for the aged and children in deprived communities, organized the programme with the aim of using the children to advocate peace in Central Gonja District.
The West Africa Network for Peace-building, Ghana (WANEP-GHANA) under its "Ghana Alert Programme," funded THUDEG to embark on a peace project, which would use children to educate communities about the need for peace in the country. The choice of Central Gonja for the peace march is partly because of the rampant chieftaincy clashes which undermine peace in the area. Having peace would attract also more businesses for socio-economic prosperity. The children held placards, some of which read; "Politicians, please give us Peace but not War," "Love Peace for the sake of God," and "No Peace, No Development." They chanted peace songs during the procession. Mr. Kenneth Addae, Executive Director of THUDEG, addressing the children after the march in Yapei, claimed that there were looming conflicts in the district and, therefore, urged the security personnel to remain on the alert.
He said the Central Gonja District was becoming the business and industrial hub of the Northern Region because of the sheanut processing plant and the Buipe Cement Factory, and stressed the need to maintain peace and security in the area.
Mr. Addae appealed to chiefs and opinion leaders in the Northern Region to unite and plan the development of the region to ensure that investors locate there to give the youth employment and enable them to avoid the temptation of patronizing conflicts.
