Haramaya University Conducts Workshop on the Role of Student Organizations
A team of Haramaya University in collaboration with USAID conducted a workshop on enhancing student organizations’ role in peaceful teaching-learning process in higher learning Institutions on July 1, 2022 at Blossom Hotel, Dire Dawa.
Representatives of Ministry of Peace and Ministry of Education took part in the workshop.
Haramaya University team has designed and successfully implemented a project titled a “Capacity Building and Technical Support for Student Organizations to enhance their Capacity to Conflict prevention, mitigation and resolution in the Universities of Eastern Ethiopia.”
According to Ato Bacha Daba, a lecturer of law at Haramaya University, the purpose of the project is to enhance the student organizational leaders’ capacity to conflict prevention, mitigation and resolution activities and to sustain peaceful teaching-learning activities across universities in Eastern Ethiopia.
To achieve the aforementioned objectives, several activities were conducted over the past four months, he added. These include consultative workshops, trainings, dialogues, award ceremonies to exemplary workers, student organization networking, and closing workshop.
The project activities were implemented in Haramaya, Dire Dawa and JigJiga universities and involved about 810 students as participants of training and dialogues, it was indicated.
As a part of strengthening student organizations in each university, office facilities such as desktop computers, printers, chairs and tables were purchased at a total cost of 1.13 million Birr and three pieces from all items were distributed to each student organizations in the respective universities.
The meticulously designed activities were effectively implemented and produced positive outcomes such as strengthened student organizations, enhanced capacity to conflict prevention, mitigation and resolution skills, enhanced communication and leadership skills, improved peaceful teaching-learning environments and improved understanding of university structures and complaint hearing mechanisms, as expressed during the workshop.
At the workshop, Professor Jeylan Woliye, Vice President for Administration and Student Affairs, enhancing the role and contribution of student organizations is pivotal in fostering peaceful teaching and learning in higher education institutions.
Sustainable peace and development can be attained in a political system and environment that appreciates the creation of intelligent, informed and responsive citizenry. Intelligent, informed and responsive citizenry is necessary for survival and sustained peace, Professor Jeylan highlighted.
It is also essential for establishing and sustaining a well-functioning and healthy democracy and a responsible government, he added.
In this regard, higher learning institutions assume principal responsibility to create and widen the moral imagination of their students and contribute their roles in the efforts to create citizens of greater moral imagination. Citizens with greater moral imagination have robust accommodative mentality, problem solving skills, greater moral virtue or wisdom, tolerance to frustrations, humility, democratic mind sets, emotional intelligence, social intelligence, relational intelligence or relational wisdom, among others.
On behalf of the Ministry of Peace of FDRE, Dr. Awoke Atanafu said Peace Building project of Universities in Eastern Ethiopia, provides students support in conflict resolution and peace keeping. He stated that stakeholders should work hard to prevent conflicts and disturbances with community and students’ participation in universities.
Participants indicated that they are happy with the training and the event has enabled them to get answers to the questions that have bothered their minds concerning conflicts and conflict resolution in higher education institutions.
Participants also said that they gained knowledge that will enhance their conflict resolution, leadership and communication skills for the betterment of their fellow citizens.
Source: HARAMAYA University