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Summit Develops Steps toward Nigerian Unification
Written by Dr. Raphael Oko
Friday, December 12, 2014
Abuja, Nigeria – At asummit held in December, leading Nigerians formulated goals and action plans in the next step toward national unification.
To commemorate the first anniversary of the formal launch of the campaign for national unification, UPF-Nigeria convened the National Unification Summit on Dec. 12, 2014, at the National Merit Award House in the Maitama District of Nigeria’s capital, Abuja.
Participants discussed the opportunities and challenges facing the campaign and developed strategies to move forward. The summit ended with the formulation of national unification goals of promoting religious harmony, regional integration and resource development and utilization. It also provided opportunities for Ambassadors for Peace and other stakeholders to make a stronger commitment to strengthening marriages and families in Nigeria as tools for national unification.
The theme of the summit was “From Amalgamation to Unification: Strengthening Marriages and Building Unified Families for National Peace and Unification.” The summit also commemorated the 23rd anniversary of moving the federal capital of Nigeria from Lagos to Abuja.
The summit discussed the process for realizing national unification by 2020. The National Secretariat of UPF-Nigeria outlined the following action points, which were deliberated and endorsed.
First: Considering that Nigeria was named by UPF Founders Dr. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon as one of the providential nations, that is, nations that should take the lead for world peace and unification, all Nigerian Ambassadors for Peace were called upon to contribute their wisdom and resources to the goal of Nigeria becoming a peacefully unified nation by the year 2020.
Second:With just a few years left until 2020, unless Nigeria becomes a unified country, the hope for peace will remain a mere dream. Therefore the fundamental purpose of the National Unification Summit should be to gather the input of Ambassadors for Peace and other stakeholders on the process of and programs for achieving national unification.
Third:The Ambassadors for Peace endorsed the following core activities which should be implemented to achieve national unification:
- Convening of periodic National Unification Summits to bring together core leaders and stakeholders within Nigeria and among Nigerians in diaspora to discuss the need for national unification and especially for transcending religious and ethnic divisions.
- Endorsement of the National Unification Declaration: Each National Unification Summit should serve as an endorsement of the declaration of national unification.
- Formulation of National Unification Goals: The summit formulated and outlined the basic unification goals that the nation seeks to achieve by 2020:
- Religious Harmony Goal: Achievement of interreligious harmony and cooperation
- Regional Integration Goal: Actualization of regional/ethnic integration
- Resources Development Goal: Development and utilization of human and natural resources nationwide
The summit included the induction of Ambassadors for Peace for National Unification and the establishment of Ambassadors for Peace National Unification Committees to realize each of the three above-mentioned National Unification Goals. The committees will develop National Unification Programs and Projects to achieve the goals of national unification.
Another committee was created to fundraise for a National Unification Fund and to manage the fund.
The launch of a nationwide unification campaign was seen as a critical task. This campaign will inspire Nigerians to take actions in support of the National Unification Goals.
A technical session of the summit also recommended convening a Periodic National Unification Assembly, to provide ongoing opportunities for deliberation, presentation of reports and updates and measuring progress and improving on challenges. It also recommended launching a Couplehood for Peace Initiative, which will call on all public leaders to demonstrate their support for couplehood by posting photos of the leader with his or her spouse, thus following the example set by the UPF founders.
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