Non-governmental organization, Immaculate Initiative for Peace Calls for Establishment of Peace Committee
A non-governmental organization, the Immaculate Initiative for Peace (IIP) has called for the establishment of peace committee among all three tiers of government in order to cultivate and engender peace in the country.
Addressing the media in commemoration of the International Day of Peace with the theme "Cultivating A Culture of Peace" in Lagos at an event well attended by members of the group, the media and lovers of peace, the Director General of the NGO, Comrade Bankole Dada, bemoaned conflicts ravaging our homes, offices, streets, communities, villages, towns, country and the world at large. He identified the need to key into this year's theme of "Cultivating A Culture of Peace" in order to save humanity which is imperiled by conflict and agreed with the United Nations on the need to construct a culture of peace in the minds of men.
Immaculate Initiative for Peace also called for legislation to back the establishment of the peace committee whose membership should be drawn from the security agencies, traditional and religious leaders, civil society and Non-governmental organizations as well as youths and women groups and persons with disability.
In commemoration of the event which holds annually on the 21st of September, the group bestowed awards of ambassadors of peace on deserving Nigerians who have have contributed to peace building efforts in Nigeria and the world. Some of the receipents who were decorated as ambassadors were Mr Nelson Ekujumi and Ayo Omotoso of Travelogue TV.
Please find below the text of the press conference
30th September 2024
World Press Conference
Being the text of a Press conference addressed by Immaculate Initiative for Peace (IIP) in commemoration of the International Day of Peace held in Lagos on Monday 30th September 2024.
"Cultivating A Culture of Peace
Great Nigerian people, comrades, friends, associates, all lovers of peace and gentlemen of the press. We welcome you all to this great event in commemoration of the International Day of Peace which is celebrated on 21st September of every year. However, because of other pressing national engagement, we at Immaculate Initiative for Peace (IIP) are commemorating the day today because of it's importance to our existence as human beings and members of the global human community.
For our information, This year marks the 25th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace.
In that declaration, the United Nations’ most inclusive body recognized that peace “not only is the absence of conflict, but also requires a positive, dynamic participatory process where dialogue is encouraged and conflicts are solved in a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation.”
In a world with rising geopolitical tensions and protracted conflicts from North to West, East to South and even internally within geographical boundaries, there has never been a better time to remember how the UN General Assembly came together in 1999 to lay out the values needed for a culture of peace. These include: respect for life, human rights and fundamental freedoms; the promotion of non-violence through education, dialogue and cooperation; commitment to peaceful settlement of conflicts; and adherence to freedom, justice, democracy, tolerance, solidarity, cooperation, pluralism, cultural diversity, dialogue and understanding at all levels of society and among nations.
In follow-up resolutions, the General Assembly recognized further the importance of choosing negotiations over confrontation and of working together and not against each other.
The Constitution of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) starts with the notion that “wars begin in the minds of men so it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed”. It is this notion that framed the theme and logo of this year’s observance of the International Day of Peace. The ideas of peace, the culture of peace, need to be cultivated in the minds of children and communities through formal and informal education, across countries and generations.
The International Day of Peace has always been a time to lay down weapons and observe ceasefires. But it now must also be a time for people to see each other’s humanity. Our survival as a global community depends on that.
The above is a premise of the reason why we are gathered here today, that as Nigerians, when we look around us, we can't run away from the fact of the existence of conflicts in our streets, communities, villages, towns, states and the country at large and all these have a telling effect on our humanity as a people because of the killings, maiming, displacements and properties damaged as a result of conflict.
Thus, like the theme of this year's commemoration of the International Day of Peace assert, there is no better time than now to "Cultivate the Culture of Peace" among our people for a better tomorrow and the world at large.
On our part at Immaculate Initiative for Peace which is a Non-governmental Organization (NGO)which has been in existence for close to two decades with over 10000 members across all Local Government Council Areas of Lagos State. We have championed conflict resolution in various areas like marital issues, soliciting health assistance for individuals in dire need through the Ministry of Health and the Intervention in the Construction of a befitting office of Citizen's Mediation Center at Igando-Ikotun LCDA.
Recently, we were at the forefront of brokering peace in the murky waters of the leadership tussle in the Lagos State Butcher's Association and a host of other involvements in Peace keeping initiatives.
In furtherance of our commitment to Peace which is critical for human progress and development, we are thus making the following demands:
1. We demand that the federal, states and local governments council areas to set up Peace Committees at the various tiers of government as an agency to address issues of people's anger, grievances and observations before it degenerates into conflict.
2. We urge that this Peace body should comprise of the representatives of our security agencies, our respected traditional and religious leaders, civil society and Non-governmental organizations, youth and women groups and persons with disability.
3. We equally call for the existence of this Peace committee to be backed by law in order to legalize it's existence.
4. We call on the Nigerian authorities to establish an institute of peace to promote research, advocacy and study of peace.
Ladies and gentlemen, cultivating the culture of peace in any society is not a walk in the park, it's an initiative that requires seriousness and commitment from all the stakeholders in order to make progress and develop to actualize the human potential for the collective good.
Thank you for listening.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Yours Sincerely,
Bankole Dada,
Director General.
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