The West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) is a regional peacebuilding organisation founded in 1998 in response to the civil wars that plagued West Africa in the 1990s. It has established strong national networks in every member stae of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), with over 500 member organisations across West Africa. WANEP’s vision is of a peaceful West Africa, and it works to help build this by enabling cooperation among civil society-based peacebuilding organisations.

WANEP-Burkina was set up in 2003 to promote peace, the respect of human rights and social justice towards sustainable development in Burkina Faso. Its main goals include observation and monitoring of political and moral values, peaceful conflict prevention, management and resolution, the development of a conflict prevention network and peacebuilding strategy in Burkina Faso, and increasing the capacity and involvement of women in peacebuilding.

Main projects

National Early Warning System (NEWS)

This project is setting up community-based conflict monitoring system with community monitors to produce conflict and peace assessment reports, early warning reports, and policy briefs which are widely disseminated. Seven community-based monitors have been selected, trained for early warning data collection and analysis. Six other monitors will be identified and trained, and all of Burkina Faso's 13 regions will be covered.

Non-violence and Peace Education (NAPE)

This project seeks to promote the culture of non-violence and peace within Burkinabe communities, with a particular focus on children and youth in schools and the informal sector. WANEP has developed a practical peace education manual, and WANEP-Burkina organised a consultative meeting with school headmasters for the implementation of this manual in Burkina Fasi. WANEP-Burkina trains leaders from student associations and youth associations in how to apply this manual. WANEP-Burkina also partners with the Ministry of national education and the ministry of youth and employment. A public conference was organised in November 2014 dealing with the consequences of drug abuse and the use of small arms.

Women in Peacebuilding Network (WIPNET)

This project seeks to increase the number of female practitioners working as trainers, researchers, mediators and advocates. Over 20 women have been selected from WANEP-Burkina civil society organisations members. They have been trained in peacebuilding and are implementing peacebuilding activities including political analysis, the peace tree initiative, and preventive actions related to Ebola.

Civil society Coordination and Democratic Governance (CSDG)

This project provides an integrated platform for WANEP-Burkina engagement with diverse stakeholders to promote peaceful democratic transitions and enhance democratic structures, institutions and practices at various levels. WANEP-Burkina is composed of 12 civil society organisations working in peacebuilding. This number will be expanded in the near future. A Practical Guide of Electoral Conflict Management in West Africa has been developed by WANEP, presented by WANEP-Burkina in a national workshop, and it will be distributed throughout Burkina Faso.

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Major achievements:

• Regional workshop on the prevention and management of agricultural conflict.
• Launching the Practical Guide for electoral conflict management in West Africa.
• Designing and validating conflict early warning indicators.
• Training seven monitors trained by December 2014 in early warning data collection and analysis.
• Training primary school staff using the peace education manual developed by WANEP.
• Organising a meeting of over 20 female leaders to discuss the socio-political situation in Burkina.
• Organising the Peace Tree peacebuilding activity for women, in Yagma.

WANEP-Burkina is working on an Ebola project as well as the creation of an election situation room.