International Peace Day: NGOs Engages Stakeholders For Sustainable Peace In Plateau Community 

By Daniel Agada, Jos

Global Peace Foundation (GPF) in partnership with Christian Rural and Urban Development  Association of Nigeria (CRUDAN) in an effort  to promote peaceful co-existence in Jos South LGA of Plateau State has organized a three days engagement with critical stakeholders to mark this year International Peace Day.

GPF is an International non-sectarian, partisan and nonprofit organization which promotes an innovative , values-based approach to peace building, guided by the vision of one family one God.

Our correspondent reports that over 80 participants which includes communities, religious leaders, women and youth groups participated in the event which took place at Govt Secondary School Angwan Doki Bukuru in Jos South LGA.

Addressing the participants, the Country Director of GPF Rev. John Joseph Hayab said as the world mark this year International Peace Day today, the foundation has agreed to partner with CRUDAN  to begin an interfaith promotion that will led to sustainable peace in Jos and it’s environs.

According to him, they decided to commence the program begining from the week of International Peace Day adding that  it is not enough for people  to talk about peace, it is very important they should also demonstrate the desire for peace . 

“GPF  tried to mitigate conflict as we work with communities to find out areas of differences so that we can work together to address them. People deliberately want to emphasize those differences because they want to exploit them for their selfish interest. Our political leaders  sometimes instigate the people against each other.”

He further stressed, ” But the reality of these is that we are all human being and one family on the planet . When we respect and appreciate one another, then we will grow together. Nobody is an island that will live a lone. There is no way you have a community exclusively of Christian or Muslim, when you have such communities you will not get the best of humanity”. 

Rev. Hayab argued that if we have a community that people always come together, then you will see the beauty of God’s creation as a result of our different religion and tribal groups stressing that GPF intend to work in the next six months for this community so that they will serve as a model that they can replicate in other communities.

The country  director also said their expectations at the end of the engagement is that participants will move from people who sees each other as enemy but as members of one family, they  will move from people who are suspecting one another to people who trust one another. They will also  move as people who has no reason to run during crises  but stay together to protect their communities.

“We must accept and embrace each other, we must not allowed those who emphasize those differences among us. They are not doing it for our own good, but with the aims of  exploiting us. Let’s resist and say no to them. We want to see a community where people show love and respect for one another. We want to see it among the women, the youths, traditional and religious leaders in our community”.

In the same vein, the Executive Director CRUDAN Mr. Joseph Gamdi in his remarks  said sustainable peace will not be achieved if critical stakeholders are left out during dialogue.

“We felt that some of this stakeholders do not have voices unless you bring them together in this form so that you can hear some of those things that are so essential and critical to sustainable peace.

He added that  at the end of the engagement they expect to see a peaceful environment and more cohesive people irrespective of their faiths and gender.”

For Hajia Salemetu Mohammed and Da Joseph Davou participants from Angwan Doki community said GPF have build their capacity to promote and sustain social cohesion among various faiths, ethnic and tribal groups in the state.