CUG ADR TRAINING ENDS WITH CALLS FOR HONEST PEACEBUILDING

By CUG NEWS MEDIA

 

Fiapre – August 8, 2025

The Catholic University of Ghana (CUG) has brought to a close a transformative five-day Professional Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) training programme that united traditional rulers, clergy, security service personnel, and civic leaders from across the country in a shared mission—equipping themselves to resolve conflicts through dialogue rather than confrontation.

The training, organized by the University’s Marian and Conflict Resolution Centre (MCRC), began on August 4, 2025, and drew participants from multiple regions, including Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, Ashanti, Central, Greater Accra, Volta, Upper East, and Upper West. It immersed attendees in practical mediation, negotiation, and arbitration techniques, while also exploring the deeper values of honesty, fairness, and community healing.

The opening day set the tone with the presence of Hon. Diana Asonaba Dapaah, Esq., former Deputy Attorney General and Minister for Justice, whose address reminded participants that ADR is deeply rooted in African traditions of settlement and reconciliation. “It is not merely a legal alternative,” she told the gathering, “but a return to a justice system that heals rather than divides.”

Seasoned mediators and legal experts guided the sessions, bringing their experiences from the courts, churches, and community forums into the training room. The days were filled with role plays, real-world case studies, and interactive discussions designed to give participants not only the tools but also the confidence to intervene constructively in disputes.

The closing ceremony on Friday was as emotional as it was celebratory. Participants, moved by the week’s impact, presented a wall clock and a framed group photograph to Dr. Mrs. Vida Korang, Acting Executive Director of the MCRC, and her team, as a token of gratitude for their commitment and professionalism.

Among the voices that inspired the gathering was that of Mr. Adam Siaka, a practicing mediator at the Sunyani High Court, a proud alumnus of CUG, and the current manager of Wisdom 101.1 FM campus radio. Sharing his personal journey into mediation, he encouraged the graduates to see themselves as custodians of peace, capable of transforming lives through dialogue and fairness.

Certificates were awarded by the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Prof. Peter Nkrumah Amponsah, who reminded participants that their training carried a moral weight. “Put what you have learned into practice with all honesty,” he urged, “and let your work bring lasting peace to the communities you serve.”

As the group dispersed, many expressed that they were leaving not just with skills, but with a renewed sense of responsibility—to be mediators not only by profession, but by principle. For CUG, the conclusion of this ADR programme is not an ending but another step in its mission to nurture leaders who will shape a more peaceful Ghana.

By Adam Siaka
Broadcast Journalist
Wisdom FM, CUG

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF GHANA HOLDS HISTORIC VICE-CHANCELLOR HANDOVER CEREMONY

By CUG NEWS MEDIA
Image
  Fiapre, Sunyani – September 1, 2025 The Catholic University of Ghana (CUG) on Monday, September 1, 2025, officially marked the transition of its highest leadership office, as Professor Sir Daniel Obeng Ofori handed over the Vice-Chancellorship to Professor Mathew Glover Addo. The colourful ceremony at Lecture Theatre 2 (LT2) drew staff, students available on campus, university council members, and dignitaries from the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, underscoring the moment’s historic significance. In his farewell address, outgoing Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Daniel Obeng Ofori, who has served the institution with distinction for the past nine years, expressed deep gratitude to God, the university community, and the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference for their unwavering support throughout his tenure. With a mixture of humility and hope, he officially relinquished the headship of the university, expressing confidence in the leadership of his successor, Professor Mathew Glove...
Read more

Professor Matthew Glover Addo Assumes Office as New Vice-Chancellor of the Catholic University of Ghana

By CUG NEWS MEDIA
Image
  The Catholic University of Ghana (CUG), Fiapre, has welcomed a new era in its academic leadership with the appointment of Professor Matthew Glover Addo , a distinguished microbiologist and molecular biologist, as the new Vice-Chancellor. Professor Addo will officially take over office on Monday, September 1, 2025 , at a brief handing-over ceremony following a welcoming meeting with the University community. Later in the day, he will pay a courtesy call on the Bishop of Sunyani, who also serves as the Episcopal Moderator of the University. Born on May 2, 1965 , Professor Addo brings to CUG over 23 years of rich academic, research, and administrative experience at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and beyond. He is the immediate past Director of the Institute of Distance Learning at KNUST and a former Dean of the Faculty of Biosciences. His academic journey has taken him across Ghana, Norway, and France, where he earned multiple advanced degrees inclu...
Read more

BONO GJA AWARDS 2024: CELEBRATING JOURNALISM AS A TOOL FOR PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT

By CUG NEWS MEDIA
Image
  The Bono and Ahafo Chapter of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has celebrated the region’s finest journalists at its third awards ceremony in Sunyani, where Daily Graphic correspondent Biiya Mukusah Ali emerged as the Overall Best Journalist of the Year 2024. The event, held under the theme “The Role of the Media as a Tool for Peace Building and Development in the Bono and Ahafo Regions,” brought together government officials, traditional leaders, members of the clergy, corporate partners, and the media fraternity. It was an evening that not only honored excellence but also reflected deeply on the responsibility of journalism in nurturing peace and development. In her keynote address, Mrs. Regina Benneh Siaw, Regional Chairperson of the Bono and Ahafo GJA, underscored the media’s crucial role as both a watchdog and an agent of social cohesion. She anoted that journalists in the region often face intimidation, harassment, and the growing challenge of misinformation, bu...
Read more