A Centre for Conflict, Human Rights and Peace Studies has been established at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), to spearhead innovation and excellence in conflict resolution, human rights promotion and peace programming activities.
The centre will achieve its objectives through research formulation and delivery of course content to equip students with more knowledge and skills to be able to solve problems.
Dr. Colm Thomas Cuanachain, Senior Director, Office of the Secretary General of Amnesty International, London delivered the inception public lecture themed “Importance of Conflict, Human Rights and Peace Studies” on Wednesday.
He underscored the need to invest in education on human rights issues to facilitate peace and reconciliation.
Dr. Cuanachain urged for promotion of education to enhance peace and human rights.
He said it was important to research and analyse contradictions on human rights, and apply the legal and practical solutions, to deepen understanding of how such rights could enable effective conflict resolution work, and how peace processes could strengthen the culture of human rights.
Dr. Cuanachain said West Africa was a particularly troubled region, indicating that the International Crisis Group has tracked more than 40 coups since the independence era.
He said a centre focused on peace, conflict resolution and human rights was welcomed in West Africa and said he was confident that research and activities at the centre would be of considerable benefit to ECOWAS countries.
He commended the University for establishing the centre to promote peace, and urged the university to put in place stringent measures to attract more students.
The Registrar, Dr. C.Y. Akwaa-Mensah, in a speech read on his behalf, urged for institutional support to enable the centre to contribute to the promotion of peace.
From Jonathan Donkor, Winneba