Ten new Delegates have successfully undergone an intensive five-day peace building training conducted by Generations For Peace – Ghana (GFP).
The participants, who are fifth-generation Delegates of Generations For Peace – Ghana, were taken through the various peace building components in a curriculum designed by GFP Institute, located in the organisation’s headquarters in Amman, Jordan.
The Delegates were selected from existing experienced Generations For Peace – Ghana volunteers and teachers from De Youngsters International School.
The training, which ran from 12 to 16 December, is part of over a year-long programme cycle, which includes six months of weekly Sport and Arts For Peace activities, that will end in August 2020.
This new programme is supported by a new partnership between Sanford Harmony, the fastest growing Pre-K to grade 6 social emotional learning programme in the United States of America, and Generations For Peace, and integrates Sanford Harmony’s curriculum into GFP programming.
The new Delegates were exposed to new themes, including Social Emotional Learning, Theory of Change, Vehicles for Peace building, Peace building Competencies, Expressions of Change, and Monitoring, Evaluation and Assessment.
The goal of the training, according to Lead Pioneer of GFP – Ghana, Naa Adei Boateng, was to equip the new Delagates with peace building competencies and skills to transform conflict in their local communities.
The new Delegates are expected to play key roles in the implementation of GFP – Ghana’s Sports and Arts For Peace Programme at De Youngsters International School in Adentan, Greater Accra, throughout 2020.
The programme is aimed at ending bullying among pupils and helping pupils to develop their self-esteem by recognising, understanding, and managing their emotions.
The training, which consisted of over 40 sessions, was facilitated by four experienced Generations For Peace – Ghana Pioneers who participated in a week-long “Training of Trainers” session on Social Emotional Learning at the Generations For Peace headquarters in October 2019.
Participants expressed great satisfaction with the new knowledge gained; most stating this will certainly affect their personal lives.
During the training’s closing ceremony, Head of De Youngsters International School, Madam Wendy Deyoungsters, emphasised the importance of peace to the current world.
She advised participants to make better use of the knowledge gained and to be peace ambassadors.
The new integrated curriculum is being piloted in two countries – Ghana and Jordan. In Ghana, it will contribute to the Sport and Arts For Peace Programme, which will involve 200 pupils between the ages of 7-9 from the De Youngsters International School. The Sport and Arts For Peace Programme is Generations For Peace’s fourth peace building programme in Ghana, partnering with different institutions, including St. Peter’s Mission School and the University of Ghana.