CapDH Mali
The Center for Assistance and Promotion of Human Rights (CapDH Mali) is a Malian association established in Bamako in March 2008 with the aim of making Mali a true rule of law where human rights are promoted and respected. The members of this association have taken on the mission to promote human rights, peace culture, and citizenship in Mali, and to help victims defend and enjoy their rights.
In partnership with the Peace School of Grenoble and launched in 2016, the project « Education for Peace, Civic Education, and Living Together » aims to promote values of tolerance, peace, and coexistence in schools, especially for children aged 5 to 13, to enable future generations to become peacebuilders. To achieve this, CapDH and the Peace School of Grenoble have developed a pedagogical tool « Objective Peace Mali » adapted to the socio-cultural and pedagogical context of Mali, which aims to assist primary school teachers and involve the children’s family and community environment.
This tool has been implemented through the production of image kits, a pedagogical guide, and training modules for both children and teachers. Started in 2016, this project has been implemented in the teaching academies of Kati and Bamako – Rive Gauche and has reached over 25,000 students, trained 429 teachers, and raised awareness among 506 parents about peace culture.
The Sahel, a Priority Action Zone
For several years, countries in the Sahel region have faced major security challenges, such as numerous armed conflicts, terrorism, and organized crime. Since 2021, Mali has been experiencing an unprecedented multidimensional crisis (occupation of a large part of the territory, coup d’état, serious human rights violations). Youth facing extreme violence as well as economic, social, and food difficulties are pushed to join terrorist networks, smuggling, and organized crime. A general mobilization is necessary to pull the country out of this crisis and succeed in the peace and reconciliation process among Malians. Thus, promoting peace education appears essential to combat this scourge, and the Sahel is a priority action zone.
Award Ceremony
Jean-Pierre Raffarin, former Prime Minister and President of the Leaders for Peace association, presented the Smart Peace Prize 2020 to the Center for Assistance and Promotion of Human Rights (CapDH) for its project « Education for Peace, Civic Education, and Living Together » on Tuesday, May 27, 2021, via videoconference. This virtual prize-giving ceremony took place at the Quai d’Orsay in the presence of the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, sponsor of the 2020 edition, and Donia Kaouach, Director General of Leaders for Peace. The Smart Peace Prize, created in 2019 by Leaders for Peace, is an award that recognizes an innovative pedagogical initiative for peace education and prevention of violent behavior, dedicated to early childhood.