By Ezekiel Dontinna
The Plateau State Peace Building Agency (PPBA), has, through its “Generation Peace” Project, trained over three hundred and ten (310) across the 17 LGAs of the State on physical, intellectual capacity building and social interaction to discourage them from being manipulated by violent merchants.
The Generation Peace Youth Camp which started Sunday October 27 and climaxed Saturday November 2, 2024 took place in collaboration with GIZ, at the Citizenship and Leadership Training Center, Shere Hills Jos, the State capital.
While speaking to Journalists shortly after the closing ceremony, the Director General of PPBA, Dr. Julie Sanda, noted that they were looking at the complex assessment of Plateau State, drawing from the 2001 incident.
She disclosed that, for over two decades, it was certain that a child born in 2001, had grown up with conflict, violence all around them saying, “yes, we are enjoying a measure of peace in Plateau today.
“But, for that child or that young person now, who has grown up in that environment, there’s a general idea about a culture of violence among our youth,
or a narrative of a culture of violence.
And we looked at it, we said, look, if truly we want to consolidate the peace that we have on Plateau, we have to look at what is happening with the young people. And we realized that if you got one youth at a time, it will take us forever”, Sanda reiterated.
She added that, the best way to capture youth was to energize their imaginations and stirred them up, hence the idea to mull their minds came knocking.
Earlier, the Course Officer to the Camp, Fatai Olakunle, highlighted that the Programme’s objectives included; identifying conflict flashpoints across Plateau State, re-manipulate youth to discourage them from taking part in violent activities and motivate them to participate in peace-building activities.
On his part, the Member representing Langtang North-North Constituency, Hon. Abel Nsnsat Munchak, thanked Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State for allowing the DG to organise such a sensitive Programme.
He, therefore, assured total support of the entire House of Assembly and promised to synergise with PPBA toward ensuring that the programme continues across the seventeenth local government areas of the state.
Meanwhile, the Programme Officer of GIZ,Muege Dilmeghani, said their partnership needs to go into a direction and they would continue to support PPBA to establish events like this and bring together youth to work together for a prosperous future based on peace.
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