Gray Child Foundation Moves to Address Causes of Violent Conflicts in Nigeria

 

The Gray Child Foundation is set to address the root causes of violent conflicts in Nigeria to prevent a re-occurrence for sustainable peace and development.

To achieve this, the Pan-African non-partisan organization working to improve communities and human capital development of people in Nigeria and Africa, said it has designed a lot of activities through which this will be achieved under its pet project, ‘Activating Positive Peace in Nigeria Initiative.’

The Chairman of the foundation, Pietro Uzochukwu Macleo, who revealed this this on Wednesday in Abuja during a chat with journalists, said the initiative is targeted at creating and implementing holistic programs that would institutionalize peace and strengthen peace infrastructures in the grassroots, rural communities, urban metropolis, public and private governance institutions.

Uzochukwu said the foundation is collaborating with Rotary International and Rotary Associates to drive positive peace building initiatives to the nukes and crannies of Nigeria using local Rotary structures (Rotary-Rotaract-Interact Clubs, Rotary Community Corps and Rotary Alumni Groups).

He said the foundation has embarked on projects that would establish peace infrastructures in rural and urban communities, thereby re-enforcing the eight pillars of positive Peace across the 37 States of Nigeria.

 “Our goal is to create a network of empowered community peace builders across Nigeria, who would have the capacity to act as an early warning and early response mechanism that would address, contain, monitor and report brewing conflicts and uprising, to consequently curb direct violence, marginalization across gender, ethno-religious, and other critical historical, socio-political dimensions of conflicts,” he further stated.

 

The Chairman, Gray Child Foundation, Pietro Uzochukwu Macleo addressing participants of the  RYLA 2021 training on Positive Peace Concept held in Abuja in January. 

The Gray Child Foundation Chairman noted that the mismanagement of national resources makes poverty and transfer of aggression inevitable aspects of daily socio-political economic routine for the average citizen as well as poverty and injustice caused by dishonesty, weakens any sense of mutual tolerance, social solidarity or coexistence, while reawakening social hatred, radicalism and violence.

 He said for this reason, building strong institutions and re-enforcing existing ones are seen as one of the most important issues that have to be resolved in order to cope with recurring violent conflicts in Nigeria.

“These realities points to the fact that if deliberate efforts and measures are not put in place, there may be a total collapse of the country as predicted by many, and this is why humanitarians of repute; Rotarians and Rotary Associates, having successfully eradicated polio in Nigeria; have taken peace building and conflict resolution as the next key project.

 

2nd from the left, the Chairman, Gray Child Foundation, Pietro Uzochukwu Macleo during the commissioning of Peacebuilder Handbook for Activation of Positive Peace in Nigeria, developed and sponsored by Gray Child Foundation and Rotary Club of Asokoro,  recently in Abuja. 

“Our programme is rooted in tested workable global theories, methodologies and best practices. Our activities are anchored on the “Institute for Economics and Peace” ideology of positive peace; re-enforced with the theory of change, thereby making our peacebuilding interventions to be strategic; deliberately targeting and enhancing the weak pillars of positive peace in Nigeria communities. Every of our project targets and addresses the root causes of conflict so as to prevent a re-occurrence, and attain sustainable peace and development,” he added.

 He attributed what he described as the weak pillars of positive peace which  includes lack of democratic ideals and accountable governance, lopsided distribution of resources, constrained and limited access to information, intolerance and ethnic segregation, poor level of human capital development, human right abuse and high handedness of local authorities, high level of corruption and unfriendly business environment, to the cause of violent conflict, extremism and insecurity in the country, adding, “that is what our programmes are set out to correct.”

The Chairman, Gray Child Foundation,  Pietro Uzochukwu Macleo, addressing cross section of participants during flag off of the Activating Positive Peace Initiative recently in Abuja.

 Uzochukwu who is also an Institute for Economics and Peace(IEP) Ambassador  further explained that the eight pillars of positive peace are pillars or features that have been identified by  the IEP to be inherent in a community/ country which directly accounts for the level of peacefulness in that society.

 “While the presence and functionality of these pillars accounts for peace, tranquility and development, its absence accounts for violent conflicts, crisis, insecurity, endless agitations etc. It is therefore advised that institutions that are directly responsible for the optimum functionality of these pillars should be constantly re-enforced and sustained.

 “These eight pillars includes: Well-functioning government, equitable distribution of resources, free flow of information, good relations with neighbours, high levels of human capital, acceptance of the rights of others, low levels of corruption, sound business environment,” he expatiated.

 He said as peacebuilding is dynamic and progressive, the foundation has outlined several programmes and tailor-made projects to address peace and conflict concerns as they may arise.

He said the activities includes: To build peaceful relationships among people of all ages, ethnicity, religion and culture- from personal to global through education, dialogue, advocacy, research and action.

“We will be providing practical tools for peaceful living including skills and methods for conflict resolution and violence prevention. We will be establishing peace infrastructures such as early warning sign mechanisms, construction and equipping of peace orientation and vocational training centers, establishment of peace building mechanism in correctional facilities, construction of peace monuments in capital cities of the 37 States including FCT.

“Among others, we will be establishing Positive Peace Clubs in rural communities, liaising and partnering with other organizations advocating for sustainable peace,” he added.

He said to a very large extent, the foundation consider this initiative a quasi-panacea to address Nigeria’s predicaments, because having identified the weak pillars of positive peace, the Activating Positive Peace in Nigeria programmes are designed to strengthen those pillars.

 “Our initiative involves preventing or ending direct violence as well as structural and cultural violence; and goes further to correct unjust social structures and social norms to prevent the occurrence or re-occurrence of direct violence in future.

 “Positive Peace as a concept is about the appropriate attitudes, institutions, and structures which when strengthened, leads to a more peaceful society. Therefore our agenda for the activation of positive peace in Nigeria is geared towards strengthening, correcting and re-enforcing institutions, structures and attitudes of the Nigeria system so as to attain sustainable peace and development.

 He said for  Nigeria to address issues of peace, tranquility and peaceful co-existence, it requires the government, citizens -young and old, especially youths and women to be alive to their responsibilities and ensure that Nigeria moves from being a ‘pariah’ in Global Peace Index to a safe, strong and united nation.

The Rotarian said that is the whole essence of our programme; where Nigerian citizens at all levels would be reached; sensitized, empowered, and peace infrastructures put in place to advance peaceful coexistence and tolerance. The attainment of this objective would readily translate to national peace and development.

He said the agenda for the Activation of Positive Peace in Nigeria is directly proportionate to the actualization of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 17. Our programmes would empower Nigerians to be more responsive, responsible and accountable citizens.

He called on all peace loving Nigerians and passionate humanitarians who may be willing to donate their time, talent or treasures to the actualization of the objective of the project for the attainment of sustainable peace and development.