The Director General, Plateau Peacebuilding Agency (PPBA), Dr. Julie Sanda, has commended women in Mangu Local Government communities for their continued efforts in promoting peace and stability within their communities.
The Director General stated this, Wednesday, at a one-day engagement with various women groups in Mangu Local Government Area, Plateau State, organized by the PPBA, supported by West Africa Network of Peace (WANEP) as part of its activities to commemorate the 2024 International Day of Peace with the theme: “Cultivating a Culture of Peace”.
The Director General, represented by the Director Programmes, Nantip Joseph, described, the work they were doing as not only valuable, but crucial to the larger goal of achieving a peaceful and harmonious Plateau State.
Sanda, therefore, encouraged the women to remain committed to these efforts because such engagements and platforms were very key to peace building and should not be taken for granted.
She said “research consistently shows a strong correlation between peacebuilding and the active involvement of women in leadership and decision-making Processes Countries that have embraced the ideals of peace and ensured that women play significant roles at all levels of governance and nation-building have experienced greater development, social cohesion, and progress”.
The Director, however, reminded the women that their contributions were vital to not just their communities, but to the broader quest for sustainable peace and development in Plateau State and Nigeria as a whole.
She encouraged them to view their involvement in the peacebuilding process as part of a long-term, transformative process that would ultimately benefit future generations.
The Peace Expert, urged them to continue to be champions of peace, as their active participation was a key factor in the ongoing efforts to build a more peaceful, inclusive, and prosperous society.
On his part, the Technical Early Warning Early Response (EWER) Advisor of WANEP, Mr. Manji Mangrock, charged the women to be committed to the ongoing peacebuilding process in their communities.
He shared insights on communal efforts made by women in other communities where PPBA and WANEP were currently implementing interventions stressing that, it has been helpful in strengthening social cohesion in those areas.
Mangrock, further disclosed that the one-day engagement was part of activities to commemorate the International Day of Peace 2024, sharing some of the in-roads made by similar interventions in some communities.
He, thereby, narrated where some belligerent members were transformed into responsible citizens and were currently contributing immensely to the growth and development of their communities.
One of the participants, Harira Basambo, while in an interview said “as a Fulani community Peace ambassador with Youth Peace Ambassadors Network Mangu LGA, I had participated in a youth camp in 2011 which exposed me to peacebuilding and conflict prevention initiatives.
“And since then, I have supported and organized peace rallies and sensitization engagements in Mangu Local Government Area especially, following the outbreak of violence in April 2023”, he disclosed.
Similarly, Linda Jumba, a member of Women Wing, Mwaghavul Development Association (MDA) of Mararaban Pushit, stated that, “as an association, part of our role is to mediate in cases of conflict in our communities.
“And as a result of the conflict that displaced many and made them vulnerable, particularly those staying in IDP camps, we have continued to create awareness on gender issues such as rape and personal hygiene, and it has raised the level of consciousness on such issues. We are also supporting them with food items and other necessities”, she highlighted.
Streetbell blog reports that, the one-day engagement was organized under the Peace Action for Rapid Transformative Nigerian Early Response (PARTNER) Project being implemented by a consortium of partners in nine states including Plateau.
The project has three broad objectives of building early warning system, peacebuilding and the promotion of social cohesion in the affected states respectively.
Streetbell Online 