Cedric de Coning, ACCORD's Research Fellow, has been appointed to the United Nations (UN) Peacebuilding Fund Advisory Board by the UN Secretary-General, H.E. Mr Ban Ki-Moon, for a two-year period that started in January 2012. The appointment follows Cedric's nomination to the position by the Government of South Africa, through its Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, and on the recommendation of the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding, Ms Judy Cheng-Hopkins.

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At a top-level celebration of Universal Children's Day in Pretoria, the hidden face of the girl-child soldier was exposed amidst a call for a global ban on using child soldiers in war.

In a symbolic celebration of the day in the year 2011 dedicated to championing children's rights, 20 children, all 11 years old from countries which were at war or which have recently emerged from war attended the luncheon as special guests and drew sharp focus on the plight of the girl-child soldier. Among them was Andrew Adansi-Bonnah, the 11-year old Ghanaian schoolboy who has launched a global campaign to raise USD13 million for victims of famine in Somalia after being inspired by images of skeletal babies and stick-thin children he saw on television.

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On 10-12 August 2011 the Executive Director of ACCORD, Vasu Gounden, visited Burundi at the same time as the official visit of South African President H.E. Jacob Zuma. During the visit ACCORD signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) in order to work together to support the objectives of the ICGLR.

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From 11 - 14 April 2011 the Executive Director of ACCORD, Mr. Vasu Gounden led an ACCORD delegation to Juba, South Sudan, to conduct high-level consultative meetings on the peace process in that country.

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Between 10 and 17 June 2011 the Executive Director of ACCORD, Mr. Vasu Gounden, accompanied by ACCORD's Senior Political Advisor, Mr. Aziz Pahad, and ACCORD's General Manager of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Hayden Allen, visited Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

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Twenty 11-year-old children from Ghana, Somalia, Rwanda and Burundi celebrated Universal Children's Day in Pretoria. The focus was on girl-child soldiers used in armed conflict on the continent as they are the most vulnerable and of great concern. This, amidst a call for a global ban on using child soldiers in war. At least 300 000 children are carrying rifles, waging wars in 30 conflict countries across the world, with at least two-thirds in Africa. They're recruited by both government and rebel forces and are subjected to drugs, indoctrination and abuse.

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11 years old Andrew Adansi Bonnah (Initiator of Save Somali Children From Hunger Project) is to visit South Africa from 18th – 22nd November 2011 at the invitation by the African Centre for Constructive Resolution to Disputes (ACCORD) based in Durban, South Africa. The invitation is to enable Andrew to meet with an African Assembly of 20 Child Ambassadors selected from countries who are in conflict, or emerged from conflict, and are 11 years old, to deliberate on the "Plight of the Girl - Child Soldier in Africa" and its eradication.

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On 18 July 2011 the Executive Director of ACCORD, vasu Gounden, was invited to be a resource person at a seminar on South Africa's membership of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the period 2011-2012, hosted by the South African Department for International Relations and Co-operation (DIRCO). Gounden was asked to provide an assessment of solutions to conflicts in Africa.

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On 04 and 05 July 2011 the Executive Director of ACCORD, Vasu Gounden, was invited to be a resource person at 'Strengthening Preventive Diplomacy and Mediation' Retreat hosted by the Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations (UN) for the UN Security Council, in Istanbul. The Retreat brought together members of the UN Security Council at ambassadorial level, as well as other stakeholders, to discuss ways to strengthen preventive diplomacy and mediation.

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On 25 May 2011 ACCORD was invited to be a partner in the hosting of the Africa 11 vs World 11 International Peace Day Soccer Match hosted by the African Union and the Michael Essien Foundation. In 2010 the AU declared 2010 the Year of Peace and Security. Michael Essien, an international soccer player and a Ghanaian national, is an AU Peace Ambassador. The soccer match was a commitment made in 2010, to be held on Africa Day in 2011.

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