Writing By By Daniel Karlmax, Editing By Godwin Duru
Kaduna State Peace Commission, KSPC says it is ready to leverage on all the available frameworks and mechanism to promote peaceful and harmonious living in the state.
The Acting Vice Chairman of the Commission Hajia Khadija Hawaja Gambo stated this at the opening of a three day strategic action plan meeting with stakeholders toward reinforcing peace building initiative for the year in Kaduna.
Hajiya Hawaja emphasized that the meeting provided a platform for the commission, partners and stakeholders to evaluate current strategies and collaboratively formulate actionable plans to strengthen peace-building efforts.
Key objectives of the meeting according to her included consolidating on the existing efforts, identifying emerging priorities, and coordinating activities for 2025 peace year.
She further highlighted that the outcome of the meeting would produce working documents to support ongoing peace initiatives and enhance relationships within the state’s diverse communities.
“All of this is being done in collaboration with our stakeholders,” she said. “When we conceived this idea, we realized the media plays an essential role. The Commission cannot reach every citizen on its own, but the media has the capacity to do so.”
In an address, Acting Executive Director Legal Awareness for Nigerian Women, Ms. Hannatu Aruwan emphasized that refining and developing activities outlined in the strategic plan would greatly contribute to effective mitigation, and prevention of conflict and violence in the state.
She said it is an avenue for KSPC and its partners to assess key activities such as advocacy, training programs, and development guidelines including stakeholder engagements across the state to ensure sustainable peace.
Aruwan also noted that the documents when fully unveiled would help the Commission’s development partners, civil society organizations, and the media to identify areas of collaboration and support in alignment with the Commission’s five-year peace-building plan.
The team leader of the Network of Peace Journalists, Mr . Ibrahim Yakubu stressed the significance of the meeting, particularly the role of media in mitigating conflicts and curbing hate speech, especially on social media.
He underscored that media involvement in the stakeholders’ meeting was crucial for exploring how both local and international media can promote peaceful coexistence, religious tolerance, and prevent conflicts.
According to him, this can be achieved through early warning and early response mechanisms, while adhering to the “Do-no-Harm” principle in media reporting.
Daniel Karlmax
