Sherigu(UE), Jan 3,GNA - Peace Advocates and Voluntary Organizers Association" (PAVOA), a local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) is collaborating with selected traditional authorities in the Upper East Region as part of a grand plan to promote and sustain peace in Northern Ghana. Mr. James Akurugu Abe-enge, Director, said the Upper East was one of the most deprived regions in the country yet a powerful minority was promoting conflicts and disputes instead thinking through solutions to fight poverty, disease and ignorance.

In an interview with the GNA, he said the group had identified the causes of conflicts in the Region as ethnocentrism, land and chieftaincy disputes and politics hence the strategy to advocate for peace in the area. He said since PAVOA was established about eight years ago, it had organized series of programmes to bring people from various ethnic, political, religious, social and economic persuasions together to engage in healthy peace building activities.

Mr. Abe-enge indicated that songs on the need for peace and the consequences of conflicts were also composed and performed at the community level by members of PAVOA to remind community members of the dangers and effects of conflicts.

He said in addition, his outfit organizes capacity building workshops for traditional rulers, Landlords, opinion leaders, women and youth leaders as well as traditional musicians who compose the songs for PAVOA activities. He said with the involvement of Chiefs and landlords, many chieftaincy and land disputes had been resolved in the NGO's area of operation. He said the group's involvement of the Youth in its programmes had prevented some of them from being used in as pawns in conflicts by selfish individuals.

Mr. Abe-enge commended the European Union through the Cultural Initiative Support Programme for sponsoring the activities of PAVOA in 2009 and appealed for more support from other stakeholders to help it undertake more peace building programmes in the Region.

Naba Thomas Apasinaba, Chief of Bolga-Sherigu, commended PAVOA members for their good work and urged them not to relent in their peace mission He appealed to other stakeholders to support PAVOA to extend its mission to other parts of the Region.

PAVOA uses Traditional Music, Dance and Drumming as platforms for recruitment and advocacy.

It normally uses palaces of Chiefs to stage its performances. It has far performed in fifteen villages in the Bolgatanga Municipality. 03 Jan.09