A workshop aimed at facilitating peaceful co-existence between herds men and communities as well as providing journalists with the right guidance to well-informed information on their reportages has been organised in Gushegu in the Northern region.

The Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) organised the workshop for the media and stakeholders in the livestock sector in the region.

The event organised through GDCA sub-unit, the Community life Implementation Programme (CLIP) was held in the Gushegu Municipality to promote dialogue between farmers, herdsmen and communities.

Discussions focused on amending perception and misconception about the activities of the herdsmen and creating understanding among stakeholders in the livestock sector within the municipality to promote peaceful co-existence.

The event formed part of GDCA and CLIP agro-pastoralism project known as “Strengthening the Resilience of Agro-pastoral System in West Africa” (PARSAO) in partnership with Acting for Life (AfL), a French based NGO.
The project is funded by the French Agency for Development (AFD), Air France, UkAid, and Danida.

It is implemented in the Gushegu Municipality, Karaga District, Tamale Metropolis, and the Central Gonja distrct in the Northern Region while the Bawku Municipality, Bawku West and Pusiga Districts are benefiting from the Upper East region.

The project focuses on improving the well-being of agro-pastoral communities and to promote sustainable economic development of livestock sector throughout the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region.

It also intends to strengthen the resilience of 5,000 agro-pastoral households, by securing, servicing, and promoting trans-border livestock mobility through the provision of services to the sector.

The target beneficiaries would include; District and Municipal Assemblies, Traditional Authorities, Crop farmers, herders/ livestock producers, livestock traders, Department of Agriculture, Agropastoral communities, forestry commission, Veterinary services and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).

Mr Lukman Yussif, Programme Manager for CLIP assured that stakeholders would adopt sustainable strategies to manage relationship between farmers and herdsmen to promote peace devoid of conflict to enhance economic development of the Municipality.