Posts in category: Blog

International Day of Peace Celebration with the theme “PATHS OF PEACE” was marked by DREP Centre in collaboration with saint Egidio. The program had in attendance staff of Sant’Egidio, participants from different communities, Religious/community leaders and representative of different groups. A goodwill message from the president of the Community of Sant’Egidio. There were goodwill messages from the Archbishop of Jos, Most-Rev. Ignatuis Kaigama, the Galadima Wase Alhaji Umar Galadima, Youth Leader Zacharia Garba, CAN president Rev. Dr. Soja Bawarang, Women Leader, JNI president Alhaji Yusuf Sarumi. The event was spiced with a Musical presentation by Chambers Choral, and drama presentations from students of St. Louis Collage Jos and Youths from Jos North and South on the need for Peaceful coexistence. The event was concluded with significant activities such as lighting of candles, signing of Peace Path and the releasing of doves to signify the agreement on a peaceful co-existence on the plateau.

With free access to the internet and other social media platforms, hate-speech has become a major characteristic of our social engagement. It is evident that statements that breed intense animosity has dominated contemporary discourse.The unchecked and unregulated use of the social media has turned it into what can be referred to as a pre battle ground where users freely and bitterly engage one another along ethno-religious lines before delving into physical violence. This of course hinders society’s drive towards sustainable peace and development.The project sought to establish a network of Christian and Muslim youths to work towards preventing and countering violent extremism on social media.

Due to the negative impact of violent conflict experienced around the Country, DREP saw the need to engage victims in a bid to help them recover mentally from the effect of conflict. The Centre held different trauma healing and psycho social support programs for victims of violence and conflict in Plateau State and had some in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States. Beneficiaries also had an opportunity of learning some basic knowledge about trauma healing, and were also equipped to provide support to each other when the need arises.

Christians and Muslims in Plateau State came together to pray for peace and unity in Plateau State and Nigeria as a whole as the first Interfaith Prayer Summit was organized in Jos by Dialogue, Reconciliation and Peace (DREP) Centre, on Thursday 30thAugust 2018. The Prayer Summit had in attendance representatives of the Plateau State Government led by the Deputy Governor, Prof. Sonny Tyoden, the Catholic Archbishop of Jos and his Anglican counterpart, the Emir of Wase, the Deputy Chief Imam of Jos, State Chairmen of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Jama’atu Nasir Islam (JNI), Security Chiefs on the Plateau, Paramount Rulers, Youth Leaders, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and members of the general public.

DREP Centre Organized Community level meetings in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States to generate community discussions on re-integration and the needs and expectations of different categories of Boko Haram defectors and returnees. The purpose was to understand community processes of re-integrating Boko Haram returnees and defectors to enable their safe return and also to enhance community trust and cohesion.

Plateau State, having been affected by recurrent violent attacks, DREP saw the need therefore to continually engage young people who are offen used as foot soldiers to perpetrate violent conflicts. DREP, with financial assistance from Missio Germany, developed a Peace Education training manual aimed at equipping our youths with the necessary knowledge and tools to counter violent extremism and radicalization.

The first phase of the training was conducted in the year 2017 with about 400 youths trained from conflict affected communities, students of secondary schools, youths affected by drugs and religious youth groups within Jos-North and Jos-South. The Centre has since commenced the second phase of the training which started in august 2018 targeting Senior secondary school students and their teachers, out of school youths in various communities, youth leaders from Churches/Mosques as well as Youth Corps members currently deployed to serve in Jos-North and Jos-South. The training is currently ongoing and over 115 young persons have so far benefited from the Peace Education Training.

As part of efforts to ensure smooth and peaceful campaigns and elections in 2015, DREP Centre embarked on community sensitization in various communities in Jos-North and Jos-South and enlightened youths on the need for, and benefits of peaceful elections. The event saw a large turnout of youths who received handbills and other sensitization materials to serve as a constant reminder of the need to distant themselves from all forms of electoral violence. In total, about 228 Youths benefited in 12 communities

In a bit to find alternative solutions to the recurrent conflict in Jos which seems to defy all solutions,which has always taken religious identity,the Centre conducted a research on “indigenous Conflict Resolution Mechanisms as Enshrined in the culture and history of tribes in Jos North and Its Environs. In this research, key stakeholders were interviewed to find out if there are local or indigenous mechanisms amongst these tribes that could offer alternative means of resolving the conflicts in Jos. The findings which are rich and fascinating have been compiled and produced in a booklet.

As part of efforts to expand its intervention, DREP Centre successfully trained over a hundred (100)persons spread across the northern part of Plateau with basic skills of conflict management, dialogue, facilitation and mediation. These peace agents have from time to time used the skills acquired in solving emerging conflict issues in their various communities, preventing them from escalating into full blown crises, these people have also served as intermediaries between DREP and the local communities.

Considering the role elections plays in ensuring a peaceful coexistence, Religious and Community leaders who quarterly meet at DREP Centre, hostedboth theGubernatorial Aspirants and Party Leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressive Congress (APC) together with the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), The National Orientation Agency (NOA) and Security Chiefs before the 2015 General Elections to sign a peace commitment to guide their actions and utterances before, during and after the elections. This to a large extend helped in ensuring free, peaceful and non-violent Elections in the State.
Also as part of measures to ensure a peaceful and violence freeelectoral process on the Plateau during the 2019 general elections, on 10th January, 2019, the Centre hosted all Governorship Aspirants, Party Leadership, Religious and Community Leaders, Civil Society Organizations, as well as other well-meaning Nigerians to an extraordinary interactive session, during which aspirants pledged their commitment to ensure their followers don’t involve in thuggery, hate speech and violence before, during and after the elections. They also pledged to use only legitimate and legal means to seek redress ifthe Electoral process and outcome are considered to be unsatisfactory. The high point of the event was the signing of a peace commitment by all the candidates which was witnessed by the Archbishop of Jos, Most-Rev. Ignatuis Kaigama, the GbongGom Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba and the Plateau State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner Mallam Hussani Halilu Pai as well asSecurity Chiefs in the State.