President Ernest Bai Koroma and the people of Sierra Leone were honored at the 7th Africa Peace Award celebration hosted by the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) in Durban, South Africa, on 30 April.

ACCORD’s African Peace building Coordination Programme (APCP), in collaboration with the Peace building Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Republic of Liberia, hosted a Peace building training from 6-10 July 2009 at the Mamba Point Hotel in Monrovia, Liberia.

On Sunday, 18 January 2009 the Founder and Executive Director of ACCORD, Vasu Gounden, was invited to participate in the celebrations marking the 40th Anniversary of the community of Mpumalanga in KwaZulu Natal.

On 24 June, The African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes, together with Engen Petroleum as main sponsor, hosted the 2006 Africa Peace Award in Durban, South Africa. The 2006 award was presented to the Nation of Burundi, for outstanding achievements in settling years of civil war in a peace process that resulted in a negotiated settlement and the successful democratic election of a new government in 2005.

The 2010 Africa Peace Award will be presented to Sierra Leone in Durban, South Africa on the 30th of April at a gala awards ceremony hosted by the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD). President Ernest Bai Koroma will receive the award on behalf of his country at the prestigious event, which will be attended by South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma.

On 27 March 2009 ACCORD staff Jerome Sachane (Deputy Director), Hayden Allen (General Manager: Corporate Affairs), and Karishma Rajoo (Manager: Interventions), attended an election briefing update by the KwaZulu Natal Provincial Office of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

Below follows the text of ACCORD Founder and Executive Director, Vasu Gounden's speech at the 2006 Africa Peace Award ceremony...