Plateau Peace Building Agency, GIZ Trains Youth to be Peace Ambassadors

The Plateau Peace Building Agency in partnership with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) conducted an one-Week intensive training for over 300 Youths in Plateau State during the Maiden Edition of the Generation Peace Youth Camp at the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre Shere Hills Jos, Plateau State.

The training with the theme “Cultivating a Culture of Peace in Plateau State” saw youths who were carefully selected across the 17 Local Government Areas in Plateau State being trained by Resources Persons with the aim of achieving greater peace in Plateau State.

The Course Officer, Fatai Adekunle highlighted that the Training was tailored to entrench good character and compassion in the participants, increase their leadership capacity of the youth to act as positive change agents for social cohesion and nonviolent conflict resolution within their communities.
He disclosed that the participants were taken through training activities which were physical, intellectual capacity building, and social interaction.
He said “They participated in different team-building activities to incorporate in them the spirit of togetherness and power of human relationship.
According to him, there were other lectures on topical issues related to peaceful coexistence in relationship with individual growth and community development.

GIZ Head of Program Peacecorp hinted that the German-Nigeria economic and technical partnership cannot be achieved in the absence of peace.
She praised the youths of Plateau State who according to her holds the key to the prosperity of the State and said they can actualize that through peace.
She said the training was aimed at Strengthening the capacities of the participants for peacebuilding.

The Director General of the Plateau Peace Building Agency, Dr. Julie Sanda said there is a narrative of a culture of violence among the youth who have witnessed violence conflict and to consolidate on the relative peace being enjoyed in the State there is need to bring the youth together, train, mould them and make them cultivate the culture of peace. She said the target is to groom the Youth to be agents of Peace and change the negative narratives.

Goodwill messages came from
Plateau Peace Practitioners Network (PPPN) through its Leader Mr Bali Nanmak, Special Adviser on Peace to Governor Mutfwang, Hon. Monday Nyam Ajiya, State House of Assembly Members present through the Legislator representing Langtang North/North Hon. Abel Nimchak and representative of the Executive Chairman of Langtang South who applauded the Plateau Peace Building Agency and GIZ for the impactful training and charged the Participants to be Peace Ambassadors, imbibe peace and promote peaceful coexistence.

Participants recounted their experiences and appreciated the Organisers of the Peace Camp. They promised to domesticate and step down the lessons learnt in their respective communities by promoting peaceful coexistence and harmonious living.

Highlights of the closing ceremony were presentation of certificates to the Graduands, group photographs and others.