By Joseph Edegbo :
Participants at a one-day community dialogue held at the Throneroom Trust Ministry Hall in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have commended the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for equipping them with skills on how to mitigate conflict in their communities.
The meeting which drew representatives from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Jama’atul Nasir Islam (JNI), Women CAN Wing, and the Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN) as well as traditional and youth leaders, took place on Tuesday 16th November 2021 in Kafanchan, headquarters of the Jema’a Local Government Area, Kaduna State.
The program, which is being implemented in Bokkos Local Government Area, Plateau State, Jema’a, Kaura and Kachia Local Government Areas, Kaduna State, was launched in December 2020 with the theme, ‘supporting religious freedom in local communities.
Addressing the participants, the Program Manager, Dr Phillip Hayab, said the program’s objective was to engage stakeholders in dialogue towards finding homegrown solutions to conflicts linked to religious differences.
Accordingly, stakeholders in the four local government areas where the project is being implemented were earlier trained on early warning signs in communities threatened by violence, conflict mitigation strategies, reconciliation and conflict resolution.
In separate contributions, Rev. Paul Anya, Vice Chairman, CAN, Jema’a Chapter, Isah Abbas, the Public Relations Officer of JNI, said that the intervention had helped to cement the relationship between Christians and Muslim leaders in the area.
They noted that the peace being enjoyed in Jema’a, and its environs, could be attributed to the peacebuilding efforts of USAID and other partners.
Also speaking, the District Head of Gabbas, in Jama’a Emirate, Usman Ibrahim, thanked USAID for deeming it fit to train 100 youth and women on entrepreneurial skills, hoping that the trainees would utilize the knowledge gained to become self-reliant and impact society.
The highlight of the event was a novelty football match for peace and unity, signifying the return of trust and confidence between Christians and Muslims in the area, played at the Old Kafanchan Township Stadium with Theatre students of the College of Education Gidan Waya displaying diverse cultural dances, cheering the players and entertaining spectators at the field.