The European Union (EU) has commenced a four-day training to strengthen the capacity of women and youths to prevent and resolve conflicts in Katsina communities.
The training is being implemented under the Conflict Prevention, Crisis Response and Resilience (CPCRR) Programme by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), in partnership with Mercy Corps and the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD).
The first phase, which began on Monday, focuses on Interest-Based Negotiation (IBN) for women, while the second phase scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday will focus on Community and Social Development Resource Management (CSDRM).
Mercy Corps Programme Manager, Mr Philip Ikita, said the training would equip participants with practical skills for managing conflicts by focusing on shared interests, dialogue and collaboration.
He said the programme brought together farmers, herders, women, youths and persons with disabilities from Safana, Faskari, Sabuwa and Dandume Local Government Areas.
According to Ikita, the programme aims to promote long-term peace, stability and socio-economic recovery across 48 communities in 10 local government areas of Katsina and Zamfara states.
He said the intervention would also strengthen community resilience to climate-related shocks and support Quick Impact Projects in targeted communities.
Ikita added that the CSDRM component would equip participants with tools to sustainably and peacefully manage shared resources such as land, water and forests, while strengthening local mechanisms for conflict prevention and inclusive dialogue.
A participant, Mrs Gambo Bature from Faskari, said the training would improve her negotiation and communication skills, while Mr Abdurashid Sabi’u from Safana said it would provide practical approaches to preventing and peacefully resolving disputes involving youths and other community groups.
