ATLANTA — The Carter Center announced today it will co-host with the Mali Ministry of Health the second annual conference on the Peace through Health in Central Mali Initiative. The conference is scheduled for Aug. 21-22 in Bamako.
The conference will bring together over 200 participants, including community representatives and health professionals from the project's four target districts in central Mali – Tenenkou, Youwarou, Macina, and Tominian – members of the Malian government, local nongovernmental organizations, embassies, U.N. agencies, and others.
Participants will share ideas, experiences, and strategies for mitigating conflict and expanding access to health services in communities experiencing conflict and violence. By bringing together a wide range of participants, the conference is a unique opportunity to foster trust and cooperation in support of peace.
The Carter Center is one of the only international nongovernmental organizations able to operate in the most insecure regions of Mali, and it is the only INGO with access to the most remote areas of Tenenkou and Youwarou districts. As a result, the Peace through Health in Central Mali Initiative has carried out unprecedented interventions in targeted districts in central Mali and created an opportunity for partners to get involved.
Background
Since 2019, The Carter Center has worked to transform the conflict in central Mali and simultaneously improve access to essential health services there by using the groundbreaking “Peace through Health” approach. The Peace through Health in Central Mali Initiative uses a community-based strategy to build peace, leveraging access to health services to reduce violence; rebuild trust and social cohesion; increase the inclusion of women, youth, and other marginalized groups in dialogue; and improve access to health services. The initiative organizes dialogues on conflict resolution, inclusion, mental health, and shared concerns between communities and the government in areas largely under the control of armed groups. The collaboration and training culminate in the co-creation and implementation of packages of global health and development activities while building participants’ conflict resolution skills.
Building trusted relationships between communities and the government culminated in a seven-month period of relative peace in 2021 and 2022, resulting in a 90% decrease in violent events and the delivery of critical health services and activities for approximately 400,000 people in conflict-affected regions.
Le Centre Carter organise la deuxième conférence sur la Paix par la Santé dans le Centre du Mali
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Contact: In Atlanta, Maria Cartaya, maria.cartaya@cartercenter.org
The Carter Center
Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope.
A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.
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