WIC, JISRA Hold Peace Rendezvous To Celebrate Int’l Day of Peace In Kaduna

By Frederick Peters, KADUNA

NEWSDAILYNIGERIA: The Women’s Interfaith Council, ( WIC) has on Saturday organized a ‘culture of Peace Rendezvous’ to commemorate the 2024 UN International Day of Peace Celebrations in Kaduna.

The peace Day rendezvous attracted policy makers, religious and traditional leaders, CSOs, UN Women, UNESCO, Women, youths and vulnerable groups among others.

Speaking the Executive Director, WIC, Rev Sr. Veronica Ifeyinwa Onyeanisì, OLA, said, the rendezvous today is to mark the international day of Peace, with the Theme, ” Cultivating the culture of Peace'” termed in JISRA ,as “Culture of Peace Rendezvous” ” it is a meeting point that brought different stakeholders from different organizations, government, law enforcement agencies, media, women, youths, academia and community actors to review the UN culture of peace instituted 25 years ago: it’s impact and challenges.

While commending the several interventions by the Joint Initiatives for Strategic Actions, (JISRA) implementers consisting of international and local partners for making the event a success. She further said JISRA program targets 3 pathways, intra, inter and extra. adding that as part of the extra pathway which we are celebrating this great event bringing others parties together to promote peace – the government, law enforcement agencies, media, academia, UNESCO, CSOs, etc,

To discuss and review how government has supported the CSOs to promote peaceful coexistence, how CSO impacted our various communities and how has the CSOs worked with government to promote peace, and freedom of religion or belief for peaceful coexistence. what is lacking and how are we going to bridge gaps to make sure that we build a rainbow state in Kaduna state” she added.

She further applauded the stakeholders on the panel discussions, for highlighting what they have done in their unique ways for Peace in their organizations and the way forward ” so we want peace, it’s every one’s job, not just government, not civil societies, not women, not youths alone, not traditional leaders too, it’s everybody’s business especially women, we need to bring women and youths into this, because most of the time, we neglect them”

She also advocated the need to catch them, the children young, ” from the homes, schools, that will make them appreciate and respect each other’s religion’ we may not have the same belief, but I should respect it, so far it does not infringe on human rights, so far, it does not affect the rights of others, so when parents gather at home with their children, let them start preaching peace and respect for other people’s religion, to have peace in the state and country

While appreciating the Gov, represented by the deputy Gov, and the Bureau of Interfaith Kaduna , said, ” Kaduna state used to to be a beautiful state, we can make it again, so joining our hands and working together we’ll arrive there” she averred

Similarly, the JISRA, Country Coordinator for Nigeria, Mr Jude Likita, said, while accessing peace in the state, ” I’ll say for JISRA communities where JISRA has implemented projects, I will say peace exists, because from the intervention that we done in those places, like Jema’a LGA, to be specific GIdan waya, they have recorded that before the coming of JISRA program, they have never had a violent-free election in the area, but for the first time since the coming of JISRA programs, they can record peace and no violence for once

He however said, in Kaduna as a whole, ” there are lots of efforts going on from CSOs, government, peace commission to ensure that peace is sustainable and social cohesion being spread across all religious lines, all the faiths and communities in the state”

Speaking on the UN international day of Peace ” this day has been able to bring various CSOs, Stakeholders, government, religious institutions and others to show how we are able to collaborate together to ensure that peace works, and the program was actually brought together by JISRA, which is working tirelessly to promote freedom of religion and beliefs”

He further said the JISRA projects are being implemented in Nigeria, in Kaduna and Plateau states by 7 local partners for which 3 of the partners today are WIC, JPRM and DIWA , they are the ones that actually led this efforts in Kaduna state, the remaining partners we work with are DREP, FOMWAN, RURCON and SUWA

On her part, the National Program officer for Women Peace and Security, UN Women, Hajia Amina Bello, said the essence of the event, which is the international day of Peace with the theme, cultivating the culture of Peace,’ ” it’s all about promoting peace in Kaduna state and in Nigeria at large, and the UN Women is United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment is glad to be part of this laudable initiative

” because across Nigeria, we are doing a lot to promote a culture of Peace and as a matter of fact we support and collaborate with governments at all levels, as Civil society organizations , multi- literal and bilateral agencies, to promote Gender responsive policies and laws that promote enabling environment for women and girls and also advancing gender equal societies and inclusive peace and security in Nigeria, so for us, this is an important event and we are glad to be part of this” she reiterated.

She further said, UN Women has supported the state government via the Ministry of Human Services ” to develop the state action plan for the implementation of the united nations security council resolutions 1325 on women peace and security, this is the second action plan and hoped it will be launched very soon” she added.

Similarly , the Deputy Director General, Bureau of Interfaith, Kaduna state, Rev fr Anthony Shuwuya, said talking about peace in Kaduna state, ” I think we must commend the efforts of Civil societies organizations, most especially, the Women’s Interfaith Council that has been working day and night to see such a program like this.

He also called for policy change to ensure peace in the northwest and country, to meet the needs and basic aspirations of the people, ” I’m not reducing the aspects of Peace to merely infrastructural development, but there are policies that certainly enhance the minimum wage of a person, so it’s all for policy makers, religious organizations to begin to focus more on alleviating and possibility of eradicating the biting poverty at the northwest and entire country.” he stressed.

On her part, a participant at the peace Rendezvous, and Leader, Kaduna state deaf women group, Amina Nasiru, while commending the organizers, said they have promoted inclusion in the event and should be sustained” noting that ,”in the past there’s no inclusion, so this is a wonderful opportunity for us to voice out as persons with disability, the world is going to be aware of us that we are not left behind,

” I am a disability advocate, so as persons with disability, we want our voices to be heard, if we want to ensure peace, because peace can never be achieved in a society where there’s discrimination, so by including persons with disability it’s going to be peace building, so as persons with disability we are very appreciative of people of WIC and Kaduna state” she said.