A Non-Governmental Organisation, Global Peace Development, implementing, a European Union-funded peace building initiative, in conjunction with the British Council Managing Conflict in Nigeria, has said it is targeting to train 5,000 persons on peace education in 10 violent-prone communities of Guyuk and Lamurde Local Government Areas of Adamawa State.
The initiative has, as its main objective, the promotion of peaceful coexistence in communities ravaged by conflict.
Guyuk and Lamurde, two councils selected for the pilot scheme in Adamawa State because of their history of violent conflict due to farmer/ herder clashes, youth restiveness and inter-communal conflict, have been responsible for the training of over 2,000 women and youths in peace education according to the GPD Executive Director, Ebruke Esike, on Monday.
Esike, who also identified reconciliation, tolerance, forgiveness and honesty as important ingredients for peaceful coexistence, added that experts in peace and security studies drawn from the academia offer the training to women and youth during community outreach on mitigating interethnic conflict and peace building.
He said, “This engagement is implemented by GPD Foundation in conjunction with various women and youth groups, with funding support from the European Union. It is a five-month long activity seeking to foster peaceful coexistence within communities fractured by conflict in the state.
“Through this intervention we are targeting the training of 5,000 participants, mostly drawn from vulnerable groups comprising women and youth. Violence is an enterprise that has never profited any one because we are ultimately losers. It tears our social fabric, besides lives being maimed, the society loses. People’s focus shifts to survival rather than development because all efforts and energies which should have been channelled on growth and development are redirected at maintaining and sustaining peace in those communities.”
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