International College of Peace Studies to host International Peace Award 2023

• The institution’s learning focuses on humanitarianism, with its courses promoting peace-building, humanitarian diplomacy, and conflict resolution, among other aspects.
• The event will be held at Stedmark Gardens Grounds in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital.
• Youths playing different roles in peace promotion will also be awarded.

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Conversations around peace are a major reward to countries experiencing civil wars and instability, especially if they focus on bringing solutions to such nations and the world in entirety.

Africa has been through a defining period for the past few decades, with its peaceful boundaries being stretched to the limits by prevailing circumstances at times.

In an exclusive interview with His Eminence Dr. Kennedy Waningu, Board Member, Provost, and current President for Africa at the International College of Peace Studies, Scholar Media Africa sought to understand the continent’s peace landscape, what needs to be done, why Africa’s peace promoters deserve recognition and what the college is doing in promoting and championing peace in Africa and beyond.

About the college

The college has three international centers, distributed in Germany, in Florida USA, and in Kenya, Africa. In Kenya, it was registered in 2021 and accredited to offer both TVET and CPD UK for continuous professional development courses.

The institution’s learning focuses on humanitarianism, with its courses promoting peace-building, humanitarian diplomacy, and conflict resolution, among other aspects.

It achieves this by equipping leaders with relevant skills, exposure, and knowledge to handle complex matters relating to peace, conflict, humanitarian diplomacy, and all humanitarian aspects.

Some such executive courses include: Humanitarian Negotiator (which links peace with the humanitarian aspect of conflict resolution), Peace Building and Conflict Resolution, Humanitarian Volunteerism, and Mediation, among others. 

“Within the last two years, we have trained representatives from over 24 countries, especially in Africa, USA and Australia,” says Dr. Waningu.

International Peace Award 2023

On December 21, 2023, such peace champions, promoters, and ambassadors will be honored and awarded during the International Peace Award 2023 event for their contributions to peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and related matters.

The event will be held at Stedmark Gardens grounds in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital.

The Award’s technical committee, which is planning the event, is chaired by Edinah Kangwana, MBS, MHC, who is the Executive Director for the International Peace Award 2023.

She is assisted by Amb. Dominic Obadiah, who is the International Relations and Special Programs Ambassador in the Office of His Eminence.

The committee is working in collaboration with the National Peace Council Committee of the International College of Peace Studies.

So far, the plans are on a speedy move, and more is expected to be unveiled as days go by.

The nominations opened on August 10, 2023, and the window closes on November 15, 2023, to give elbow room to the vetting committee to scrutinize the nominees and their documents.  

“Kenya has always been a central place and for peacebuilding and the suitable for the occasion,” says the steering committee. 

Ms. Kangwana says the Award is a strategic tool for amplifying the voice and efforts in promoting peace from the community level up.

“We are calling for everyone to be a peace ambassador, for peace is very vital in our daily settings and ties us together,” she urged.

She welcomes everyone to the event, whether a nominee or a regular participant willing to follow through the proceedings.

In her words, “It also revives the world’s almost-dying culture of honor and when we honor people, we are creating more ambassadors for peace, leaders and also celebrating good in community and remind the world that the heroes and heroines we’ve been looking for are right here with us,” she adds.

According to Dr. Waningu, the event is anticipated to host a whopping 2,000 delegates drawn from 43 countries in Africa, USA, and Australia, among other places globally.

Awarding needle movers

“We expect academicians, academic institutions, corporates, entities dealing with peace, community, regional and humanitarian leaders, and organizations who have been active on promoting and advocating for peace,” the committee leadership explains.

Global and other transformational leaders from across the planet are set to grace the occasion.

These are needle movers in their villages, communities, nations, regions, and continents. 

They have consistently and passionately done notable works in these spaces on matters of peace-building, conflict resolution, and dialogue.

They are change-makers from the grassroots upwards, who have constantly soiled their hands for the country to have peace.

“While some of them have contributed to conflict resolution in the village and community levels, others have done and brought about socio-economic developments too, bringing results through creating employment opportunities, which give a chance to communities to grow and thrive, ultimately leading to self-reliance and peaceful co-existence among society members,” says the Provost.

The International Peace Award 2023 will be awarded by the National Peace Council Committee of the International College of Peace Studies and other international organizations focused on peace and related matters.

Individuals and organizations will be awarded under the Community, County, National, Regional (East Africa, Central Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Larger Sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa) and International categories.

First of its kind

The occasion, which is the fourth by the institution yet the first of its kind and magnitude in recent years, is set to open the pathway to more robust and figured-out approaches and efforts towards peace ambassadorship and promotion, and diplomatic conflict resolution globally.

With the challenges Africa has been facing over time, and the staggering need for it to grow on matters peace, the continent needs more peace ambassadors.

“The government needs to know the impact of conflict, how it affects the citizens’ social life and the aftermath, which destabilizes economies and disorients them. 

More emphasis must be put on peace education and the involvement of trained ambassadors and conflict resolution experts,” says Dr. Waningu.

Amb. Obadiah owns a wealth of experience in peace, humanitarian and diplomatic fields, and for this event, his main role is to avail all the required data and information and link the Technical Committee to all the relevant offices for the success of the occasion.

“We need peace for economies to grow and countries to thrive. I believe everybody at all levels should take part in promoting peace. This event will catalyze them to do more toward embracing, promoting and nurturing peace.

It also encourages people to embrace the culture of honor and create peace awareness,” Amb. Obadiah told Scholar Media Africa in an interview.

On the same note, Africa must wake up and smell the coffee, moving with speed toward finding a lasting solution to matters peace.

She needs to understand herself and rise to the occasion.

Peace and youth

In Africa, many politicians are using young people to destroy peace and propagate their own agenda.

“It’s high time the young people woke up from their sleep and stopped being used as puppets,” says Amb. Obadiah.

Youths playing different roles in peace promotion will also be awarded.

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Amb. Obadiah says in order to ensure they get recognized, youths unable to cater to the nomination fee will be assisted through the committee’s collaboration with organizations, banks and other entities willing to support them.