The Executive Secretary of the Volta Regional Peace Council, Dr David Esinu Normanyo, says a three-day training programme for members of the Volta and Oti Regional Peace Councils will significantly strengthen community-based conflict resolution efforts.

Supported by GIZ, the workshop aims to equip participants with practical skills in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) from mediation techniques to structured dialogue processes to help them effectively address disputes within their constituencies.

“When the Volta and Oti Regional Peace Councils were inaugurated two years ago, we recognised the need to build our members’ capacity to serve the communities we represent. This programme is designed to ensure participants return to their institutions and train others, multiplying the impact,” Dr Normanyo stated.

He explained that ADR is not a new concept but an age-old African tradition, now backed by the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act of 2010. Unlike court processes that often leave one party as “victor” and the other “vanquished,” he said, ADR preserves relationships, allowing communities to maintain harmony after disputes are settled.

“This training is more than a skills exercise; it is an investment in peace-building,” Dr Normanyo stressed. “Our goal is to make mediation and dialogue the first option for resolving disputes, not the last.”