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One hundred one distinguished personalities from Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Burundi, and Liberia graduated from the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) on Wednesday.

The graduants made up of 40 Master of Arts Conflict, Peace and Security; 35 Master Arts Gender, Peace and Security; and 26 Executive Master of Arts in Conflict, Peace and Security.

The courses are being run by KAIPTC in collaboration with Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).

High profile personalities who graduated includes the Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante, Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church- Ghana and Chairman of the National Peace Council; Mr Baba Issifu Kamara, National Security Coordinator; Mr Cletus Apeul Avoka, former Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Bawku West; Mrs Hellen Adjoa Ntoso, Volta Regional Minister; and Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West.

Mr Sidney Kobby Adika of Ghana was adjudged the best student for Masters of Arts in Conflict, Peace and Security; Ms Gertrude Charigat Chilemu of Kenya was declared the best for Masters of Arts in Gender, Peace and Security; and Mrs Owusu-Ekuful, was awarded for being the best student in Executive Masters of Arts in Conflict, Peace and Security.

Major General Obed Boamah Akwa, KAIPTC Commandant, in his report said the graduants went through a demanding a year during which they had to master various topics such as International Good Governance and Leadership in Africa, Theories and Analysis of Conflicts, International Law, Contemporary and Emerging Security Issues in Africa, Gender, War and Conflicts.

He said as part of the course the graduants were made to research deeply to understand and appreciate the complexity of these issues, to critically and creatively analyse them.

He announced that the Centre had admitted the first batch of PhD students in International Conflict Management.

Maj Gen Akwa lauded the GETFund for sponsoring the construction of a five-storey building complex for academic and related activities; which started this year and is expected to be completed in 18 months.

He said the government through the Defence Ministry had continued to provide, much-needed critical strategic direction as well as diverse operational and administrative support needed to run the post-graduate programmes.

Professor Philip Duku Osei, Deputy the Rector, GIMPA said the mentorship programme between the Institute and KAIPTC is yielding the best result.

Dr Flora Divine, the General Counsel, Kennesaw State University, said the world cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace unless women obtain the same opportunities as men to influence development at all levels of society.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful pledged to be an agent of peace, security and not to provoke or flirt with violence and instability.

“We ought to make the deliberate choice to ignore provocation and act purposely to promote stability,” Mrs Owusu-Ekuful stated in her Valedictory speech.

“We live in a world riddled with speculation, skepticism, and governed by appearances.

“Our politics is filled with pessimism, dishonesty and attempts to deeply divide all of all us. Our markets are reflective of a people whose interests lies solely in what they acquire regardless of the means used but within this we learnt that though there security risk everywhere, we can make a different,” she stated.

She urged her fellow graduants to dare to be different for their lives had been changed by the lessons they had learnt here.

She said they had been exposed to the stark reality of the immediacy threats to the peace and security of society.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful said Al Qaeda in the Maghreb, Boko Haram and ISIS are stark reminders of the fact that the foot soldiers people resource and encourage to attack their opponents today may well become the internal terrorists of tomorrow.

“Actions often have unintended long term consequences and the violence in Talensi must never happen again,” she said.

She said the world is faced with escalating challenges of cyber-attack; citing the recent hacking of the government website as a reminder of it.