Yamoussoukro, 4 September 2008...The United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), on Thursday opened a three-day seminar in the political capital, Yamoussoukro, on the role and responsibilities of secondary school teachers in the peace process.

More than 70 teachers, from all over the country, are participating in the seminar to learn more about the methods and techniques of teaching the fundamental principles that create a culture of peace and tolerance in secondary schools.

Speaking on behalf of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary- General for Côte d'Ivoire, the Chief of Public Information, Mrs Margherita Amodeo, highlighted the crucial role that teachers should play in helping to end the crisis in Côte d'Ivoire. She said that they were the ultimate multipliers of a message of tolerance and peace to the youth of the country. She told the participants: "This seminar was designed to give you more tools to teach these principles."

She explained that it was the teachers themselves who had asked for such an event to be organised by UNOCI, during the Mission's Schools Caravan for Peace, which was launched on 14 February 2007 and has so far attracted thousands of school children all over Côte d'Ivoire.

For his part, the Director of Planning in the Ministry of Education, Mr. Herbert Bernard Yao Gbo, thanked UNOCI for the initiative and revealed that his Ministry was in the process of including culture of peace studies in the national curriculum.