By
Akanta Hannah
Government at all levels have been advised to deploy an all-inclusive approach in addressing conflict and in building a peaceful society.
Chairman, Taraba State Peace Committee, Professor Tella Sunday Ngarka gave the admonition at an event while delivering a lecture on the topic: cultivating a culture of peace.
The event organised by a non-governmental organisation, Search for Common Ground, was aimed at commemorating this year’s international day of peace.
Underscoring the importance of inclusivity in bringing peace and building a peaceful society, Professor Ngarka mentioned that an inclusive society begins with involving everyone pivotal to resolving any conflict and making plans for everyone irrespective of their ethnic origins, religious affiliations, or socio-economic backgrounds.
“Imagine what good can come out of a society that classifies its people according to indigenes and non-indigenes, Christians and Moslems, poor and rich, etc. These are divisive characteristics that
seek to divide rather than unite people.”
According to him, if a culture of peace must be imbibed, then it will require the commitment of everybody and should be built on dialogue, collaboration, respect for diversity, and conflict resolution.
He urged government, policy makers, media, civil society groups, NGOs, religious and traditional leaders, and educational institutions to leverage their positions and platforms to promote peace.
Chairman, Taraba State Peace Architecture Dialogue, Professor Joseph Lucas, who also spoke at the event, emphasized that for any society to thrive, justice must be in place serving as a lubricant for peace to reign.
While calling on Taraba state government to establish Peace Commission in the state, he commended Search for common ground for contributing to peace building in Taraba state and the country at large.
In an address, Taraba State Project Coordinator, Search For Common Ground, Dubi Sonam said as an organisation, their mission is to transform the way the world deals with conflict, which means leaving adversarial approaches and embracing cooperative solutions.
Sonam pointed out that peace is not the absence of conflict but the ability to manage conflict constructively, listen to one another, and seek a common ground.
“In Taraba State, where different cultures, beliefs, and traditions converge. Our diversity is our strength, and when we embrace it, we build a community where every voice matters, where every individual feels heard and valued.”
He, therefore, charged everyone to be an agent of peace in their respective domains.
