By Daniel Dauda in Jos


A non governmental organization known as the African Initiative for Peace Building Advocacy and Advancement (AFRIPEACE), trained stakeholders towards restoring peace and harmony at the grassroot on the Plateau.

The AFRIPEACE capacity building training which occurred on Monday in Jos the state capital is in collaboration with open society Initiative for West Africa(OSIWA).

The participants were drawn from civil organizations, community groups, ethics and religious beliefs.

According to Comfort Zawaya the program manager of AFRIPEACE, Nigeria is interweaving the toughest time in its political history. Security challenges, communal  crisis, farmers/herders, kidnapping, insurgency and other civil violence presently ravaging the Northern Nigeria.

"For  over three decades, violence conflicts in Northern Nigeria have been emerged with huge humanitarian consequences, including displacement of people which has resolved in huge deaths, loss of property across ethnic, religious and political devices.

"We are bringing together communities across religion, political and ethnic lines to work collaboratively in resolving crises", she mentioned.

She revealed that part of the reason why conflicts Keep escalating is as a result of lack of contractive engagement of people at the grassroot, noting that decisions are often time discussed and finalized in Abuja or at the state governments.

She said:"in this workshop, AFRIPEACE is adopting the bottom top approach where the communities themselves take ownership of the process of the conflict resolution or management.

"This individuals to be trained are the community peace advocates that will be equip with all the skills that is require in tracking or managing early warning signs of conflict, managing conflict when it arises, working together across ethnic and religious divides in resolving problems as well as ensuring that they do not allow persons or group with violent extremist tendencies to find breeding grounds in their communities.