The event is organized by the Commission for the Organization of the National Conference "Pathways to Peace and Development" (COCN) aiming at: raising national awareness about the importance of dealing with the past for rescuing the country from the cycle of instability and political and social conflict; strengthening collective awareness on the relevance of the National Conference;  and empowering the delegates to the national conference.

The symposium will be attended by 108 delegates to the National Conference, from all regions of the country, academics and politicians, as well as national and international speakers, among them the former president of Timor-Leste, José Ramos Horta, guest of honor of the Commission, who will share the experience of his country.

The Commission for the Organization of the National Conference "Paths to Peace and Development", led by Father Domingos da Fonseca, was reinstated by the National People's Assembly in 2015 to resume the consultation work initiated in 2009 on the need to choose a national reconciliation mechanism for Guinea-Bissau – at a national conference - that can address the causes of the conflict, write the common history of Guineans so that the country can turn the page of the past and move towards development.

So far the COCN has analyzed the results of the consultations to more than 3,000 people across Guinea-Bissau, studied the experience of other countries such as East Timor and Côte d'Ivoire and produced its final report which will be presented at the symposium.

The COCN has been supported by the United Nations Integrated Office for the Peace Consolidation in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS), United Nations Peacebuilding Fund and the Government of Timor-Leste.

programa_do_simposio.pdf

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For more Information you can contact:

Ricardo Semedo (COCN): 966755293; 955921010

Júlia Alhinho (UNIOGBIS): 966136045; E-mail: alhinho@un.org

Enfamara Cassama (UNIOGBIS): 955541095; E-mail: cassama@un.org

And visit the Commission's website: http://reconciliacao.gw/