Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture has embarked on a two-year Peace Building Fund (PDF) project in Mangochi, Machinga and Karonga to expand the peace and unity interventions across the three border districts.
The PDF project is an extension of a previous pilot one-year Sustainable Development Goals Accelerated Fund (SDG-AF) project, which was implemented in 2022 in six districts of Mangochi, Mulanje, Salima, Kasungu, Nkhata Bay and Karonga.
Speaking in Mangochi on Friday, Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture, Richard Chimwendo Banda said through the implementation of the project, the three districts will see the establishment of an inclusive peace building mechanism that will support women and youth as agents of peace at district and community level.
“As was the case in other previous peace related projects, my ministry through the Directorate of Peace and National Unity shall be the leading coordinating government institution in bringing different expertise to make Malawi more resilient and peaceful.
“As a ministry, we cannot overemphasise the need and necessity of peace building and conflict prevention in the country, as the socio-economic risks and local conflicts exhibit the need to build community resilience towards conflict prevention and resolution,” said Chimwendo Banda.
The minister was excited to note that through the previous Accelerated Fund project, Malawi has registered progress in conflict prevention and peace building.
According to Principal Secretary for National Unity and Culture, Dr Elizabeth Gomani Chindebvu, PDF project will build capacity of actors in conflict prevention, contribute to strengthening capacity of border districts to mitigate the existing and potential conflicts and strengthen human rights protection mechanisms.
UN Resident Coordinator, Rebecca Adda-Dontoh commended Malawi for her efforts in sustaining peace.
