NAN-H-97
Peace
By Maureen Okon
Abuja, Dec. 22, 2016 (NAN) Prof. Oshita Oshita, the Director General (DG), of Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), on Thursday, called on stakeholders and Government to collaborate in order to promote peace in conflict areas.
Oshita made the call at Stakeholders Consultative Meeting and unveiling of the Infrastructure for Peace (I4P) programme in Abuja.
The DG said that broad collaboration and coordination of ideas, efforts and resources remained imperative at this critical time in the country.
“We have worked with several individuals and organisations both locally and internationally for conflict prevention, management and resolution.
“But we have discovered that no peace and conflict system must keep reinventing itself to meet the requirements of changing conflict dynamics.
“We have also discovered that despite the best of intentions, the ideas and efforts of one organisation are never enough.
“So, at this critical time, it is imperative for stakeholders to harmonise and coordinate peace efforts and to reinforce and strengthen the structure.’’
He added that conflict has become a recurring decimal that obstructs the wheel of socio-economic, cultural and political development.
“There is no doubt that peace has become the most desirous ideal in our country with recurring incidence of violent conflicts that obstruct the wheel of socio-economic progress.
“We must together work to reinforce the virtue of peace as the necessary ingredient for democracy and development.
“In a highly dynamic world, we must all be equipped with the right skills, knowledge and attitudes for the promotion and entrenchment of peace in our homes and organisations.
“Peace is an intangible, invisible, priceless and often unappreciated condition that is taken for granted most of the time.
“Peace is a value to be cherished, nurtured and protected the way we would treasure a plant or flower. We cannot allow peace to be on its own, we must promote it’’, he added.
Dr. Aliyu Ahmed-Hameed, I4P Programme Consultant; said “it is ten times cheaper to prevent conflict in our society because it is very expensive to maintain peace.
“Over 1.5 billion people around the world live in communities affected by war, violence, crime and other forms of tensions, while 526,000 people die each year as a result of violence or conflict.
“Armed conflict wrecks lives, destroys social fabric and peaceful relationship and many more, so it is ten times cheaper to prevent conflict in our society than to allow conflict to occur.
He reiterated that “it is very expensive to maintain peace in our society and cost effective.’’ (NAN)
ETIM/AK/IEA
===============
Edited by Akin Makanjuola/Idahosa Asowata