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Nigerians Plan Early Start for Peace Vision 2020
Written by Dr. Raphael Ogar Oko, secretary general, UPF-Nigeria
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Abuja, Nigeria—Nigerian Ambassadors for Peace have met to discuss several activities that they will embark upon during the 100 days leading up to World Summit 2017.
The Ambassadors for Peace from Abuja and neighboring cities vowed to work with other stakeholders to ensure that Nigeria establishes the core national foundation to become a peaceful nation by 2020.
Speaking at the opening session of the meeting, which was held on November 12, 2016, at the 805 Restaurant in Abuja’s Wuse 2 district, Dr. George Ikpot, UPF-Nigeria director of international affairs, welcomed the participants and applauded their decision to attend the event.
“UPF-Nigeria is in a strategic position to facilitate the realization of the Peace Vision 2020 in Nigeria. … Let us challenge ourselves and take responsibility as Ambassadors for Peace to guide the direction that Nigeria should take in the days ahead,” Dr. Ikpot said.
Dr. Raphael Ogar Oko, UPF-Nigeria secretary general, said: “As Ambassadors for Peace, we need to ensure that our nation establishes the basic foundation to become a peaceful country. This means that we have between 2017 and 2019 to do all that we can to place Nigeria on the path toward becoming a peaceful country. … This is our greatest challenge.”
A goodwill message was delivered by the UPF-Ghana secretary general, Dr. Helen Osei, who was visiting Nigeria during the event. She used the opportunity to introduce some Nigerian residents of Ghana who have been appointed as Ambassadors for Peace in that nation. She encouraged those Ambassadors for Peace to work with UPF-Nigeria to promote peace in their homeland.
After exhaustive deliberations, participants identified and endorsed three key areas that should be pursued in the 100 days before the next UPF World Summit, which will be held in South Korea in February 2017. Through these activities a foundation can be laid for a peaceful Nigeria by 2020:
- Building and strengthening peaceful relations between Nigerians of different religions, especially Muslims and Christians. The Ambassadors for Peace agreed on the necessity of promoting a national culture of peace through a national code of conduct for peaceful living, a national curriculum of education for peace and a national constitution that supports peaceful living.
- Ensuring that the different ethnic nationalities live together in peace. Throughout the history of Nigeria, every generation has yearned to create a united and peaceful nation. The Ambassadors for Peace resolved to take up the task of creating peaceful communities where Nigerians can live without discrimination and exclusion. Each Ambassador for Peace was mandated to take responsibility to work toward building a peaceful community in which they shall be acknowledged as the Peace King/Queen.
- Developing and utilizing resources for peace. Ambassadors for Peace resolved to show the needed model for effective utilization of public and personal resources for peacebuilding initiatives. Participants were encouraged not to allow their personal or public resources to be used for the sake of wars, fighting or any form of violence. Instead, each person should become an active stakeholder in raising funds for peace programs and projects.
It was resolved that as “Ambassadors for Peace, our calling at this time is that we become people with a peaceful character, establish peaceful families and communities, and develop and utilize resources for peace. Let us take this calling seriously and make this nation a new nation of peace by 2020.”
The event also featured a goodwill message by a visiting Ambassador for Peace from Switzerland, Johnson Belangenyi, a master of arts and translator-interpreter who was on holiday in Abuja. Also, five Nigerians appointed as Ambassadors for Peace by UPF-Ghana were formally introduced and welcomed into the UPF-Nigeria family. Three distinguished Nigerians were issued certificates as Ambassadors for Peace at the event.
The program ended with pledges of commitment to work for the success of the 100 days of activities for Peace Vision 2020, including the successful hosting of the UPF-Nigeria Annual General Peace Assembly in Owerri, Imo State, from December 9 to 11, 2016. Participants also resolved to promote the hosting of the UPF Founders’ official photo in private homes and public offices of Ambassadors for Peace throughout the country.
Photos are available online via the following link: Photo Album Link
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