Luanda - Angola's contribution to conflict prevention, management and resolution, based on its experience of peacebuilding and national reconciliation, is increasingly evident in recent years, particularly in Africa.
By Valentim de Carvalho, ANGOP’s journalist
The country's experience in matters of this kind is recognized at various levels and has been fundamental, especially in actions related to the pacification of the Great Lakes Region and in peacekeeping missions at the regional level.
As president of the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), Angola has noted several important diplomatic initiatives, such as integration in the efforts for lasting peace in Mozambique.
Similarly, the Angolan authorities have been very active in seeking political inclusion and stability in the Central African Republic (CAR), as well as in mediating in the conflict between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda.
Its commitment to this mission, with primacy for dialogue, supports a position as a political partner to be taken into account for consultation and resolution in matters of conflict management, making the country a 'revolving plate' in favor of pacification.
In fact, it is not a coincidence that the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, was distinguished, last year, with the title of champion of peace and reconciliation on the continent, by the African Union (AU), a distinction that values his personal commitment and Angola's great effort to build a more peaceful continent.
Cross-border recognition
In fact, the role played by Angola in the process of political stabilization has also received attention in other geographies of the world, outside the continent.
Recently, the country was referenced in a transcendental way, with the then outgoing leader of the Inter-parliamentary Union (IPU), Portuguese Duarte Pacheco, praising the experience of the Angolan Government in achieving effective peace, after long years of conflict, and calling on other states in the world to follow Angola's example.
The member of the largest parliamentary tribune in the world was speaking on the occasion of the 147th General Assembly of the IPU, which Luanda hosted last October under the motto “parliamentary action for peace, justice and strong institutions”, which was attended by more than a thousand Members of Parliaments, including some Speakers of 179 affiliated parliaments.
The parliamentarian praised the way in which Angolans knew how to conduct their own process, to the point of achieving and definitively sealing peace and national reconciliation, which have been lasting for more than two decades, and hoped that nations at war around the world and/or peoples in conflicts, from the same country, will soon reach understanding, finding lasting political-diplomatic solutions.
Strengthening the culture of peace
Meanwhile, Angola's contribution comes at a time when, unfortunately, Africa continues to face serious security challenges, with permanent conflicts, the spread of terrorism, acts of unconstitutional changes of governments, consequent risks of humanitarian crises and violations of human rights.
To create new platforms for understanding and reinforce the message of the need to make the world, in particular the continent, more pacified, Angola hosts, for the third time, the Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace - Luanda Biennial 2023.
It is, therefore, a space for a comprehensive approach to the issue of preventing violence and resolving conflicts, in addition to analyzing topics linked to education, science, economics and climate change.
For three days (22 to 24), hundreds of participants will seek to explore this platform as a privileged means for reflection and understanding on the main paths to follow to achieve peace and reconciliation, as well as manage and resolve problems, with a view to stability and the development of the continent.
Representatives from Governments, civil society, the artistic and scientific community and members of international organizations have as a common denominator, for a meeting that aims to be as consensual as possible, the encouragement of cultural exchange, dialogue between generations and the promotion of gender equality.
The event, co-organized by the Government of Angola, the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), aims to promote actions that contribute to strengthening the Pan-African movement and maintaining a culture of peace and non-violence on the continent and in the world.
Its objectives are “anchored” in the aspirations of the African Union, that is, in the commitment to guarantee an integrated, peaceful and prosperous Africa, in which its children assume a supportive position in the ongoing processes of economic and social transformation.
The forum will feature six panels, which will address the themes “young people, actors in promoting the culture of peace and social transformations on the continent”, “technology and education as tools to achieve gender equality”, “the role of women in peace processes, security and development” and “the process of transforming educational systems: innovative practices and financing in the African context”.
The agenda also reserves matters related to “the challenges and opportunities of the integration of the African continent and the prospects for economic growth” and “climate change: ethical challenges, impacts, adaptation and vulnerability”.
As for culture, visits to museums and other historical places are planned for the third and final day of the Biennale, with emphasis on the Agostinho Neto Memorial, “Iron Palace” and the national museums of Anthropology and of the Military History. VC/VIC/VM/DOJ
