Executive Director of Allamin Foundation, Hajiya Hamsatu Allamin
By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
The Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development recently organized a one-day community dialogue on understanding, tolerance, and peaceful co-existence in Jere LGA of Borno State.
The event aimed to harness the concerns, hopes, and aspirations of stakeholders to achieve lasting peace and societal development.
The Executive Director of the foundation, Hajiya Hamsatu Alla, explained the rationale behind the dialogue, which is to harness the concerns, hopes and aspirations of the stakeholders with the aim of achieving peaceful co-existence for societal development to thrive towards strengthening capacities and will for transitional justice and reconciliation in Borno State, Nigeria (Phase II) .
She noted that the project is supported by the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) and UKAID.
Hajiya Allamin commended the Nigerian military authorities and Borno State Government for their tireless role and support in restoring peace in the state. She solicited support for the foundation’s efforts in promoting peace and understanding.
The dialogue brought together participants from twelve wards and six districts of Jere LGA, including youths, women, community and religious leaders, deradicalized women and girls, and security agencies. They deliberated extensively on issues and constraints facing them, including lack of trust, isolation, discrimination, and stigmatization.
The Project Monitoring & Evaluation Consultant, Dr. Lawan Balami, coordinated the deliberations and discussions. The participants identified several challenges, including inadequate security provision, breach of laws and regulations, and hypocritical utterances from repentant insurgents.
The stakeholders called for government and humanitarian partners’ support and intervention to address these challenges. They urged for more understanding, forgiveness, peaceful co-existence, love, and social relationships among residents and repentant insurgents.
Facilitator and Consultant Peace Mediator Ari Mustapha spoke on the significance of peace in Islam and the virtues of peace building. He emphasized that violence and destruction have never brought peace, but rather tension, confusion, and hatred.
Mustapha charged the participants to exercise restraint and be patient with their neighbors, leaders, and government. He urged them to be resilient, forgiving, and embrace peace and live a better life with one another.
The dialogue provided a platform for stakeholders to voice their problems and experiences living with repentant insurgents. It also offered guidance and counseling from peace mediators and facilitators.
The event concluded with a call to action for stakeholders to work together towards achieving lasting peace and peaceful co-existence in Jere LGA and beyond.
