The Sierra Leone Act Alliance Forum (SLAAF) participated in the Act Alliance’s (AA) first Africa regional consultative workshop on Peace and Human Security (PHS). The workshop took place on the 11 & 12 October 2022, in Nairobi, targeting 15 participants from across three African regions including the West, South, East, and Horn Africa. Christian Aid Sierra Leone’s (CASL’s) Thematic Heath and Gender Advisor represented the SLAAF. It is worth noting that participation of the SLAAF in AA regional and global spaces has not been encouraging over the years, thus, the PHS workshop created the space and repositioned the forum in contributing to the goal and objectives of the AA. The workshop also created the opportunity for networking and relationship-building.
PHS is an emerging concept within AA that started in 2019, and it has been added as a key thematic area within the existing AA global strategy. A 2020-2023 PHS sub-strategy was developed, and the goal is to address the root causes of conflicts, prevent violence, contribute to peace processes, and promote human security and sustained Peace and Justice. One key focus of the regional workshop was the review of the PHS strategy for alignment and engagement at the forum and regional levels.
The key outcome from the workshop was the development of a draft regional PHS strategies, where each region identified and agreed on key areas of focus based on context, resources, and opportunities among other factors. West Africa forum (Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Cameroon), for example, identified natural resources (land, farmers, and headers) and tribal conflicts as key focus areas. Also, the team discussed and agreed to establish a Community of Practice (CoP) at the national and regional forum levels. Actions from these forums will then feed into the global PHS CoP platform.
Before the PHS workshop, CASL and the Council of Churches in Sierra Leone (CCSL) in the last eight months have demonstrated deliberate efforts in strengthening the operation of the SLAAF, empowering the forum to deliver on its mandates at the country level. Together with the other forum members (Methodist Churches -Sierra Leone, Lutheran Federation), we facilitated the reactivation of membership through the review and signing of the MoU. Also, the forum is now connected with and has gained recognition from the regional AA. The usual monthly meetings have been reinstituted and the forum’s Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (EPRP) was developed and uploaded on the AA website.
In addition to being part of the PHS platform, the forum also succeeded in winning the AA-funded Gender Justice project, lasting for a year period (August 202 – June 2023). The focus of the project is to promote positive masculinity in seven communities within three districts in Sierra Leone by targeting men and boys and forming them into clubs within religious spaces, communities, and schools. The project aims to empower these groups with the necessary knowledge and skills so that they can engage in promoting positive behaviors among their peers and ensuring the protection of women and girls against violence and abuse within their respective communities. Overall, the project aims to achieve results and deepening gains, through effective partners and joint implementation by the members and other actors like the Ministry of Gender, other gender Civil Society actors, and the project communities.
The key reflection and learning for the forum members centered around what the power of working together means, and how it links to emerging opportunities in strengthening our prophetic voices and positions us in contributing to addressing issues of poverty, and power. CASL together with other forum members is committed to building on these gains by providing technical and professional accompaniment to the forum with a focus on positioning the forum for more strategic engagements.
Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio Receives Council of Churches in Sierra Leone on Centenary Celebrations, Recognises Their Role in Peace-building State House, Freetown, Thursday
4A King Harman Road, Brookfield’s, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Copyright © Council of Churches in Sierra Leone (CCSL) 2024
Designed & Developed by J.M @ Meloni International
