Central Africa Conflict Prevention
Association (CACOPA)
CACOPA is a non partisan and non-profit organization of professional with multiples skills and experience in providing effective conflict resolution, conflict prevention, peacemaking, peace education, decision making assistance, good governance and dispute resolution consultancy. We provide services domestically and internationally.
CACOPA is dedicated to the promotion of the culture of peace through empowering communities to foster development.
CACOPA is dedicated to the promotion of the culture of peace through empowering communities to foster development.
April and May Events
The Central Africa Conflict Prevention Association, CACOPA, has among its mission to contribute in educating the populous on available alternative means that help conflicting parties to reach a nonviolent resolution of conflicts. Through peace education possible changes in viewing conflict issues become less violent and contribute into reaching a more peaceful society. This vision has become one of CACOPA's fields of interest for two main reasons. The first being CACOPA's Executive members have all an expertise in Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies that the Democratic Republic of Congo needs for its nation to live in a peaceful society . The second being the usefulness of having nationals that are qualified in this field as to educate the rest of the populous in acquiring the required knowledge in dealing appropriately with any conflict that arises within the social environment is a huge privilege for the entire country.
CACOPA would like to expand its expertise to those who play a certain role within the community as one way to settle disputes that in many instances culminate into violence and destruction of the social environment. It is our duty as human to foster a culture of peace where we live if we want to live a peacefully and prosperous developing nation.
CACOPA would like to expand its expertise to those who play a certain role within the community as one way to settle disputes that in many instances culminate into violence and destruction of the social environment. It is our duty as human to foster a culture of peace where we live if we want to live a peacefully and prosperous developing nation.
Regional Events
The first Summit on the Ministry of Peace was held in Accra/Ghana from 14 to 22nd May. For this purpose a double event took place within the same vicinity as part of the schedule. Non Governmental Organizations members dealing with peace and government officials of different countries had an opportunity to share the advantages of a Ministry of Peace within government structures from 14 to 16 May 2008 while from 17 to 22 May 2008 a training took place that focused on Non Violent Communication.
The full report of the first Summit on the Ministry of Peace in Accra; Ghana is accessible at www.icchra.org
The full report of the first Summit on the Ministry of Peace in Accra; Ghana is accessible at www.icchra.org
International Events
The 4th Global Summit for Ministries and Departments of Peace scheduled from 16 to 25 September 2008 in Sydney Australia has been postponed to September 2009 in Costa Rica. The Summit is organized by the Global Alliance for Ministries and Departments of Peace.
CACOPA is looking forward to attending the summit as part of its core activities.
CACOPA is looking forward to attending the summit as part of its core activities.
July Events
CACOPA is organizing the second session of the Basic Conflict Management from July 3 to July 5 2008. The training consists in gathering the two first groups that were trained in April and May as to motivate the candidates to complete the full session. The policy in selecting the Trainers of Trainers TOT consists in choosing the best candidates within the groups as to respond to the desire of having a more competent team on the field to transmit the knowledge of conflict resolution to others. These candidates will probably be needed in sustaining CACOPA’s work on the field due to the vastness of the country because more people are needed to cover the work of peace in the country.
New Projects
Still in Lubumbashi, CACOPA will in the near future train the district leaders in Basic Conflict Management taking into account their role within the social environment. While in Kinshasa for further contacts; CACOPA’s Secretary General handled the project. The Project will be funded by the provincial government whose interest in having a peaceful Katanga with numerous minerals that contribute in rising pockets of conflicts here and there might play an important role in addressing issues of conflict as they appear daily. The most fundamental benefit of such trainings is that they target to resolve conflict within communities. As a matter of fact, every corner of any country where the redistribution of wealth fails, conflict seems to dominate with negative consequences. The lack of structures that might address such issues always culminate into violence while possible alternatives to nonviolent means exist.
The privilege to train district leaders in Katanga province and particularly in Lubumbashi will probably open doors to the remote parts of the province to benefit such trainings. However, the possibility of expanding such trainings in the entire country rests upon government officials to understand the founded reason of such structures to become part of the grassroots’ daily life for peace to prevail in our communities.
The privilege to train district leaders in Katanga province and particularly in Lubumbashi will probably open doors to the remote parts of the province to benefit such trainings. However, the possibility of expanding such trainings in the entire country rests upon government officials to understand the founded reason of such structures to become part of the grassroots’ daily life for peace to prevail in our communities.
New Contacts
After completing their Masters in Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies at the University of Kwa Zulu Natal in South Africa, CACOPA’s Executive members wish was to settle in their mothers’ land because their expertise was needed in the DRC than in South Africa. It is in this context that they started the transmission of their expertise in March as Lecturers at Institut Facultaire Maria Malkia and carried on with trainings in the field of conflict management.
Furthering their wish in expanding structures of conflict resolution activities and other aspects related to it namely, the implementation of a Ministry of Peace in the DRC, the Executive and the Programme Directors travelled to Kinshasa where useful contacts with political and different Non Governmental Organizations leaders were made. Together with the National Secretary, Tabitha Nzolu based in Kinshasa, a number of authorities were met to explain the project that CACOPA intends to put in place as to contribute in alleviating issues of violence within the Congolese society through educating the grassroots on the basis of conflict management.
Furthering their wish in expanding structures of conflict resolution activities and other aspects related to it namely, the implementation of a Ministry of Peace in the DRC, the Executive and the Programme Directors travelled to Kinshasa where useful contacts with political and different Non Governmental Organizations leaders were made. Together with the National Secretary, Tabitha Nzolu based in Kinshasa, a number of authorities were met to explain the project that CACOPA intends to put in place as to contribute in alleviating issues of violence within the Congolese society through educating the grassroots on the basis of conflict management.
Visited Non Governmental Organizations and other institutions
- Programme de Renforcement des Capacités des Organisations de la Société Civile dans la Prévention; la Gestion et la Résolution des Conflits en Afrique Centrale PREGESCO
- Electoral Institute of South Africa (EISA) in Kinshasa, www.eisa.org.za
- Diakona : www.diakona.se
- La Conférence Internationale sur la Région des Grands Lacs
- British Embassy
- Monuc’s Civil Affairs/Kinshasa
In Lubumbashi, the following organizations were visited:
- The United Nations Missions in the DRC: Civil and Political Affairs (MONUC)
- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
- Organization for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid (OCHA)
May Events
The Central Africa Conflict Prevention Association is looking forward to attending the First Summit on the “Ministry of Peace” that will be held in Accra, Ghana from the 14- 16 May, 2008. Further to this Summit, a training will be organized in the same vicinity on “ Non Violent Communication” from the 17- 22 May, 2008. The African Alliance for Peace organizes the events in collaboration with CACOPA.
It is worth mentioning as well that CACOPA Executive members will be training people from April 25 to 28, 2008. The event will take place in the premises of Institut Maria Malkia in Lubumbashi. The training is scheduled from 8h00 to 17h00. Students of the Institute are the first targets of this training but doors are widely opened to anybody who is interested in gaining knowledge of the basics of conflict management. After the training, attendees will be given a certificate to acknowledge their attendance.
April News
By Nixon Kasimu Yuma.
Conflicts appear to take an important part in our daily lives and there is no way that we would live by avoiding them. Dealing with life issues must then include conflict as being one of the activities that become part of our worries by addressing disagreement or disputes in an effective manner. All human nature is aware that a conflict or a dispute handled carelessly reaches a point where the outcome could be destructive. At this point, violence erupts in the social environment with negative consequences.
New Project
The Central Africa Conflict Prevention Association aims also on focusing on "consolidating peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo in particular and the Great Lakes region of Africa in general". One of its core activities will be held in organizing “Peace Committees” as an effective instrument in the implementation of a rigid culture of peace among the Congolese communities and its society in general.