From Audu Joe, Lokoja
The Community Initiatives to Promote Peace (CIPP) of the Mercy Corps Nigeria, on Tuesday, commenced the training of 50 persons drawn from four Local Governmet Areas in Kogi state on Peace Techniques.
The Programme which is the fourth set of its Parenting for Peace: Training of Trainers workshop in Kogi state is designed to equip parents and youth influencers with skills to aid prompt identification of violent extremist ideologies and address the risk factors for recruitment by violent extremist groups which will increase the use of positive parenting methods to build resilience to violent extremist ideologies.
A Statement issued by the Head of Project Communications of the Mercy Corps, Damilola Aina which was made available to journalists in Lokoja shortly after the opening of the 3-day ‘Training of Trainers’ workshop, disclosed that similar training has so far been held in Kano, Kaduna and Katsina states.
According to the Statement, the programme is in partnership with the Kogi State Ministry for Women Affairs, the Special Adviser to the Governor on SDGs, and the state Commissioner of Police.
Aina said that the 3-day workshop which was flagged off by the Commissioner for Women Affair and Social Development, Hajiya Fatima Buba will feature interreligious experts and facilitators who will teach participants from high-risk environments how to identify key drivers and signs of radicalization, understand motivations behind violent extremism, how to prevent and counter violent extremism, and the role of family in preventing violent extremism in the community.
The Statement acknowledged the critical role that parents play in raising their children to abhor violence and shun violent extremism tactics.
It also indicated that the training will teach effective strategies for identifying signs and preventing violent extremism in children and young adults as trainees are expected to step down these trainings to their peers within their various communities.”
“The Parenting for Peace training workshops will take place in four (4) states in the North Central and North West regions; Kano, Kaduna, Katsina and Kogi states, which make up four of the CIPP program’s six key implementing states.
“Community Initiatives to Promote Peace (CIPP) is a peacebuilding programme that seeks to improve local capacity and skills to manage disputes, strengthen women’s capacities to prevent and resolve conflict, increase collaboration among communities with government agencies, CSOs, and local leaders to address root causes of conflict, and develop strengthened and more sustainable Early Warning and Early Response mechanisms.
“CIPP is being implemented across six states in North Central and North West (Benue, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kogi and Plateau states).
“CIPP is supported by USAID and implemented through a consortium, led by Mercy Corps that includes African Radio Drama Association (ARDA), Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC), Pastoral Resolve (PARE), and Savannah Center for Diplomacy Democracy & Development (SCDDD).
“Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future” Aina explained.