Ahead of this year’s World Peace Day celebration, the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), has called on Nigerians to deploy the use of dialogue and non-violent approach to resolve conflicts.
World Peace Day or International Day of Peace came into existence through the Resolution 55/282 of 1981 and the United Nations General Assembly declared every 21th of September for its celebration.
The IPCR’s director-general, Dr Bakut T. Bakut, in a message issued by the institute’s Head of Media unit, Ms Esther Ndukwe, in Abuja, Monday called on all Nigerians to take responsibility in their communities to ensure peace through peace-building activities.
He said: “The Peace Day is devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, and it provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to peace above all differences and contribute to a culture of peace despite prevailing challenges.
“The theme for this year’s celebration; “Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world,” was inspired by the global challenges occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, which negatively affects all strata of the population, including those caught in conflict settings because of their vulnerability to the vagaries of the environment and lack of access to healthcare.
“In line with the United Nations’ annual appeal for the observation of non-violence and cease fire, the Security Council’s call for a ‘sustained humanitarian pause’ to local conflicts and the prevalence of violent conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution has begun consultations with state and non-state actors to strategise on modalities for conducting impactful activities for the recovery and mitigation of COVID-19 pandemic and violent conflict in Nigeria.
“This also aligns with the African Union (AU) programme of “Silencing the Guns”. We are reaching out to and calling on all peace loving people, the civil society including faith-based groups, traditional and religious leaders, statesmen, women, youth and media peace networks, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), security agencies and development partners to leverage their mandates and areas of operational presence and influence to take action towards realising a ceasefire or non-violence, especially on the day of peace.”
