23 Jun 2014

The Australian High Commissioner to both Botswana and South Africa, Mr Graeme Wilson has opened a peace shelter at Kasane Primary school that was built in partnership with DUCERE Foundation and the Sir Ketumile Masire Foundation.

The project was funded through the high commission in Pretoria. Speaking at the ceremony, the executive director at the Sir Ketumile Masire Foundation, Ms Matshidiso Masire said DUCERE had partnered with Sir Ketumile Masire Foundation since 2012 in the peace centre initiatives on programmes that empowered children to understand and engage in a meaningful dialogue, promote peace and equality, become advocates for positive change and to use their learning experience to develop into future leaders.

Ms Masire said their partnership with DUCERE foundation supported the foundation’s belief in shining the light so that young people could be encouraged to be creative, to use their imagination, explore ideas, debate and care for each other.

She urged young people to put their hands up for Botswana and its reputation for democracy, freedom of speech, the right to vote and the right to help grow the nation.

Mr Wilson encouraged adults and children to respect and listen to each other because listening led to harmony, respect and increased understanding. He said peace was essential within families, classrooms, across tribes and between nations.

Mr Wilson said the world was made up of groups of people who sometimes tried to dominate others by pushing their own ideas. “They ignore opinions of others and when they cannot get their way, they use force, which leads to fighting, wars to the end of lives, the end of families and instead of peace and harmony we end up with anger and revenge”, he noted.

Furthermore, he said that for the entire world, peace is imperative because it delivers the opportunity to relate with others with understanding, good will, cooperation and said peace helps to define values, form attitudes and behaviour that reflect respect for life, dignity and human rights and rejection of violence.

The assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development, Mr Keletso Rakhudu, thanked the Australian High Commission not only for their funding for the peace centre but for putting faith in the school community to work as team with DUCERE and Sir Ketumile Masire foundations to create this place of learning on time and within budget.

Mr Rakhudu said in 2012 the education ministry signed Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with DUCERE to focus on school improvement in maths, science and English and the outcome of national test results in a number of schools where DUCERE has implemented its mentor models have been outstanding.

He explained that he hoped to see new peace centres in many schools which children can use for debate, drama, simulations, and peace club activities where students will learn and lead. ENDS