Zimbabwe: Prisons Launch Peace Education Initiative
The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS) last week launched a Peace Education Programme that seeks to address mental aspects of inmates.
The programme seeks to help inmates achieve inner peace, which will help them live harmoniously with others after their re-integration into society.
The mental resilience initiative will focus on issues such as moral regeneration and violence reduction so that participants will understand the possibility of achieving peace through identifying and utilising inborn resources.
Speaking on the launch of the Peace Education programme held at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison, the acting Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Mr Kazembe Kazembe said the programme will help both officers and inmates to co-exist in harmony and will be empower them to deal with their inner challenges.
“Peace education becomes a wellness programme that offers psychosocial support not only to inmates, but to the community as a whole,” he said.
Minister Kazembe said the programme will offer rehabilitation services to incarcerated members of the society with the aim of promoting behavioural reform and empowering inmates with life survival skills in preparation for their reintegration into the society.
“It is because of this background that the ZPCS decided to bring on board this programme to rehabilitate people we treat as the most dangerous people in society and it is high time that those who are treated as the most dangerous be transformed to meet the expectations of society,” he said
ZPCS Commissioner-General Moses Chihobvu said the programme will be extended to all provinces starting with Harare Metropolitan province.
“All those who are going to be accorded the opportunity to participate in the training sessions should strive to see and support the priceless value embedded in the Peace Education Programme,” he said.
Upon completion of the 5-week training programme, it is hoped participants will be empowered to live a peaceful and healthy environment where both officers, inmates and society will live in harmony.
Participants will get certificates of attendance.
