54 Views
ECOWAS strengthens the skills of imams, preachers and teachers of madrasa schools in Senegal
The Human Development and Social Affairs Department of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), organized from 08 to 22 June 2023 in Dakar, a training session for the benefit of imams, preachers and madrasa school teachers in Senegal.
This training, which focuses on the prevention of violent extremism and radicalization in the ECOWAS region, took place at the Islamic Institute of Dakar and was carried out in partnership with the Unitary Framework for the Development of Islam in Senegal (CUDIS) . After Niger, Nigeria, Burkina, Mali and Côte d’Ivoire, countries already benefiting from the training program, it was around Senegal to receive the training session for trainers of imams. The said session lasted a fortnight and saw the participation of about twenty Imams, preachers and madrasa masters. Aiming to strengthen the capacities of imams, preachers and madrasa school teachers in the fight against violent extremism and radicalization in the community space, through the improvement of educational content, teachings and sermons, training, s took place around the content of the ECOWAS Reference Manual on Education for a Culture of Peace. Several thematic modules were covered: culture of peace, conflict prevention and management, human rights, civic awareness and citizenship, democracy and good governance, gender equality, perspectives on peace and development, public health, environment and sustainable development, as well as regional integration.
The closing ceremony of this training took place on Thursday, June 22, 22, under the chairmanship of the Minister-Adviser to the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdul-Aziz KEBE, with the presence of representatives of the Minister of the Interior , the High Council of Territorial Collectivities and unifying associations of Imams and Ulemas of Senegal. It also had the participation of Prof. Fatou SOW/SARR, Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs of the ECOWAS Commission.
In his speech, Prof. Fatou SOW / SARR, Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, said she was satisfied that the Program started with four countries of the Region, is continuing to expand. She welcomed the experience of Senegal through the Unitary Framework for the Development of Islam in Senegal, which explains the diversity of Islamic congregations during this training. For her, it is through this activity, to instill in imams, the notions of the fight against violent extremism, against hate speech, radicalization and above all to cultivate social cohesion and the rejection of extremism. . According to Prof. SOW/SARR, while violent extremism remains an increasingly high threat in the ECOWAS region, there is consensus that military operations and security measures alone are not enough to address the problems of conflicts, which must rather be prevented by educational actions. To respond fully and effectively to this challenge, more emphasis needs to be placed on preventing violence through community engagement and building resilience. It is in this context that ECOWAS has identified culture of peace education as one of the long-term strategies for the prevention of violent extremism, which prepares individuals and communities for resilience and provides solutions to the problems of fear, suspicion and insecurity which constitute real threats to peace, sustainable development and regional integration. While being satisfied with the expected results during these fifteen days of training, Prof. SOW/SARR urged the twenty or so Senegalese imams to serve as relays and trainers for their peers and above all to be ambassadors of peace and agents of change in their respective communities.
Closing the proceedings, Mr. Abdul-Aziz KEBE, Minister-Advisor to the President of the Republic, in charge of religious affairs, expressed, on behalf of the Government of Senegal, his gratitude to the ECOWAS Commission for having chosen its country for this activity of capital importance for the entire Region.
ECOWAS strengthens the skills of imams, preachers and teachers of madrasa schools in Senegal
For him, this training will undoubtedly contribute not only to strengthening the capacities of religious leaders, but also to highlighting the role of these leaders for peace, especially at a time when the problem of violent extremism is more topical than ever in the ECOWAS region. He then urged the beneficiaries of this training to have the mission of sensitizing their members to the values of peace, tolerance and mutual respect.
In order to better prevent and combat violent extremism and radicalization in West Africa, the participants of the training formulated resolutions and recommendations.
Under the resolutions, the participants pledged to: combat hate speech and intolerance through responsible and tolerant opening speeches inspired by Islam; create, following the training, a platform for exchanges around an education in the culture of peace; play the role of intermediary and facilitator between ECOWAS and the populations for a better sensitization on the culture of peace; use existing religious mechanisms and tools with the aim of improving and strengthening African regional integration; and better involve Muslim women leaders in promoting peace and social cohesion.
As recommendations, they were intended for the Muslim community in Senegal, the Senegalese government, development partners and the ECOWAS Commission. Those intended for the ECOWAS Commission are to: sustain the training of imams and madrasa teachers, and increase the number of women and young participants; facilitate the integration of the content of the reference manual into the teaching program of ECOWAS countries; create a network of ECOWAS imams and preachers for peace and living together; sponsor television and radio broadcasts to popularize the ideals of ECOWAS in order to better achieve the ECOWAS of the peoples; and establish a monitoring and evaluation team for the Dakar training.
In addition to the Human Development and Social Affairs Commissioner, the training saw the participation of Prof. Abdoulaye MAGA, Director of Education, Science and Culture, Mrs. Aisha USMAN, Acting Head of Education Division and Dr. Emile ZIDA, Head of Culture Division of the ECOWAS Commission.
