Grassroots peace building: IPCR moves to open office in Gwagwalada

Hafsat Abdullahi

In its effort to institute peace building at the gressroots, the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) may have concluded plans to open a senatorial office in Gwagwalada, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

This was done to facilitate peace structures and coordinate various groups and organisations working towards community cohesion and resilience. 

The Acting Director General of the Institute For Peace and Conflict Resolution, Dr. Bakut Tswah Bakut revealed this during a seminar tagged Infrastructure for peace (I4P) Project on Grassroots Peace Platforms and capacities for youths and women, yesterday in Abuja.

Bakut said that the seminar was taking place simultaneously in three other states Anambra, Ekiti, Plateau and the FCT considering the state of violence in various communities of the federation.

His words, “The Infrastructure for peace encourages the creation and reinforcement of peace structures at all levels of the society for the purpose of conflict prevention, management and resolution."

He adding that Nigeria through the Institute has embraced the initiative to manage and mitigate the threat of violent conflicts in the country.  

“IPCR is the government's agency saddled with the responsibility of tackling the perennial socio-political and ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria and Africa through evidence-informed research and policy recommendations, it engages in advocacy and promotes peace building and conflict prevention through capacity building and partnership with local and international stakeholders” he said.

He stressed that it was aimed at educating and raising awareness of community members such as women and youths on Infrastructure for peace and the need to build peace, and therefore encouraged community members to take advantage of this opportunity to bring positive changes to their individual lives, places of work, organisations and communities. 

Reacting to this, the representative of the Police Area Commander, Gwagwalada Area Command, DSP Jonah Okeku said that peace is a necessity that has no alternatives "everybody must work hard to make sure that peace travail in Nigeria and put to an end all forms of violence in Nigerian communities.”Adding that meaningful and sustainable development can only thrives in an atmosphere of peace.

He noted the message of peace should be propagated to every Nigerian and encouraged mothers not to relent on their role as home builders in indicating discipline and love in the lives of their children.