Workshop on ‘Conflict, Peace & Mental Health’

Peace Channel members along with participants and members of Peren town PFP after its monthly consultative workshop held on October 10 at Peren Town.

Peren, October 14 (MExN): Peren Town People’s Forum for Peace (PFP) held its monthly consultative workshop initiated by Peace Channel, Dimapur on October 10 at Peren Town Women Welfare Conference hall.

A press release from Alan Paul stated that the programme began with an invocation by Pastor Haiku Nza, Peren Town Baptist Church. 

Vitono Gugu Haralu, Project Coordinator, Peace Channel was the spoke person for the event on the theme “Conflict, Peace and Mental Health.”

The programme started with an ice breaker with the participants to practically experience the usage and importance of presence of mind and also to understand the benefit of active listening and responding appropriately, said the release.

The resource person shared the meaning of mental health with the participants and how it has its influences with an individual’s psychological and emotional well-being and impact on the society.

“It is very visible in our behavior and how we think, feel and respond to situations,” Haralu said, while asking the participants to address some of the positive and negative impacts in their town that indicates the mental state of mind of the citizens.

The participants felt the need for peace to balance the imbalance of social issues in the community by educating the people through seminars and awareness on various social issues.

The resource person also stressed on the importance of communication and how well do the people communicate with each other to avoid conflict and bring developmental alternatives to sustain peace and harmony in the society.

Furthermore, Haralu went on to prod  the participants as to who will empower women to exercise their rights, who will educate the men folk that peace is a collective effort of men, women and youth and children, how do we empower and be more responsible as citizens in the community.

Unless people evolve with time and change mind-sets and perspectives over one’s own self-interest, there was always going to be conflict, she held.

Haralu further said women should be encouraged to come out of their comfort zone and be given opportunities to be involved in the decision making process for better results and exercise their rights.

The Peren Town PFP now has a permanent member for the year 2019 to 2020 with a total of 30 participants who will be trained and certified by Peace Channel after a yearlong training on various capacity building workshops, added the release.

Tingbapeung, President, Peren Town Chairman Union mentioned the need of a proper orientation and training with various leaders of the town that will enable them to take better decision and share concerns with understanding for lasting solutions on matters that involves community and its people.

The programme was chaired by Rosa Angami, Peren District Coordinator, Peace Channel.