03/12/2024
Kwara ACReSAL Stepped-Down Training on Peace and Conflict Resolution for SPMU Staff, Focal NGOs.
The Kwara State Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (KWACReSAL) today organised a step-down training on Peace Building and Conflict Resolution for staffers of the Project Management Unit (SPMU) and Focal NGOs (FoNGO) in the State. The session took place in the ACReSAL's Conference room, GRA, Ilorin, the State Capital.
The training became imperative after the completion of the initial 15-days’ Stakeholders Mapping and Pilot Training held in Makurdi, Benue State by the Federal Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes in collaboration with a Non-Governmental Organisation, Search for Common Ground.
The step-down training is aimed equipping participants with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to effectively mediate conflicts and foster peaceful coexistence in the same vein as the root causes and resolution of conflict.
Facilitating the session, the Environmental Safeguard Officer, Mr Abubakar Abdulraheem emphasised that conflict resolution involves holistic approach to resolution of such conflict focusing on its nature, causes and relationship so as to promote sustainable peace rather than finding cosmetic solution to conflict.
He stressed further by highlighting effective communication negotiation, dialogue, and mutual understanding as key ingredients towards promoting peace and averting conflict and violence in the intervention communities in particular and the whole society in general.
He, however, emphasized that conflict might arise in some situations, and there is need to resolve it through different strategies, noting that significance of peace in the society cannot be overstated. According to him, mediators are not expected to take side or show bias in conflict resolution.
“Mediators are to find root causes of conflicts and ensure sustainable peace among conflicting people or groups or communities,” he said.
Also speaking at the training session, Mrs. Eniola Aina, the Gender Based Violence Officer, emphasized on the need to take cognizance of early warning of conflict to intervene early enough to avoid conflict escalation which could lead to unmanageable violence. Further in her lecture, she noted that early warning and early response as well as mediation and efficient management of information are steps to help in robust progressive project implementation at the intervention sites. She equally lectured participants on the important need for conduct of participatory stakeholders’ mapping.
The training, which is an interactive one, elicited questions and answers from the participants as well as provision of examples and practical demonstration of techniques in mediation and conflict resolution.
Communication Unit
KWACReSAL
2/12/2024
