The Global Peace Foundation (GPF), an Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), on Wednesday tasked communities in Southern Kaduna to take ownership of ongoing peace process in the area.
The Country Director of GPF, Rev. John Hayab, made the call in Kafanchan at the Southern Kaduna Youth Peace Dialogue Forum and Service Project for Peaceful Coexistence.
Hayab stated that any peace process not localised or rooted in communities is not likely to yield any meaningful result.
“Any peace process that is not people oriented won’t take us anywhere. All we want is for communities to take ownership of the process.
“If the communities are willing to live together then no man from outside can divide them. If they take ownership, they will put bandits and their likes to shame,” he emphasised.
He said that the foundation was founded on the premise that all human beings are members of “One family under God”, who should love one another.
He commended the community volunteers for rehabilitating a bad road in Kafanchan, saying that GPF not only preaches peace but encourages people to come together to develop their communities.
In his contribution, the Northern Coordinator of the Foundation, Sheikh Haliru Maraya, noted that the NGO has been working tirelessly to promote peaceful coexistence among the people of diverse tribes and religions in the area.
Maraya urged Christians and Muslims to live by the teachings of their respective faiths, rooted in peace and compassion.
“If you say you don’t like a person because of his tribe or religion, you are simply saying you don’t like God who created that person.
“God who created us all did not consult anyone before making us Hausa, Fulani or Atyap,” he added
According to him, putting humanity above religious and political considerations is key to ensuring lasting peace in Southern Kaduna and beyond.
Also speaking, Prof. Alexander Kure, Provost of the Kaduna State College of Education, stressed that “education teaches us to live in peace with one another”, warning that being violent is a clear sign of internal conflict as no one who is truly happy with himself has room to be aggressive towards other people.
“You have to be at peace with yourself before you can give peace to anyone. If you don’t love yourself, how can you love the next person,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event, which was convened by the Global Peace Foundation Community Volunteers, involved the rehabilitation of bad roads in Kafanchan, which according to them, has been ‘a death trap’.
The coordinator of the volunteers, Mr Timothy Machu, said the repair works carried out was part of their resolve to put aside their differences and develop the area. (NAN)
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