 |
| Dr. Ali Manzo listening to a participant at the CDD/NOA workshop in Damaturu |
By JOE Hemba, Damaturu
The Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD and the National Orientation Agency have struck a partnership to reverse the negative narrative of the Boko Haram insurgency through peace building and reconciliation.
The CDD at a workshop in Damaturu where it has brought together 50 participants comprising of the officials of the National orientation Agency in the state and some community leaders is aim at capacitating them on the key drivers of peace building at community levels using the Islamic perspective through its flagship program; “Sulhu Alheri Ne”.
In his opening speech, Yobe State Director, National Orientation Agency(NOA), Mal. Ali Audu said the wide spread of NOA across the country is an asset for organization like CDD to take advantage of in the enlightenment of the communities on peace building.
According to him, the core mandate of NOA which is the sensitization, mobilization and awareness creation on government programs, policies and activities will drive the message of peace down to the grass root through the Community Mobilization Officers(COMOs.
He added that “CDD and NOA are co-created partners in progress”, while pledging to work closely with CDD to counter violent extremism.
“Let me assure you that, the National Orientation Agency as a social engineering institution in the discharge of its mandate, lunched the National Campaign on Building a people of peace in the Northeast Geo-political zone on the ills and dangers of these prevailing centrifugal forces in the country and provided platform for continuous engagement with different stakeholders on how to curb them,” Mal. Audu informed.
The facilitator of the program in the State, Dr. Ali Manzo said the trainees are expected to preach the message of peace to their various communities after the workshop.
He noted that the collaboration with NOA and community leaders was to take advantage of the wide network of NOA to drive home to all nook and crannies of the state the message of peace so as to change the attitude of the people towards the Boko Haram crisis which has negatively affected the region for long.
Dr. Manzo noted that CDD will be involving other stakeholders in the communities apart from the current set of participants to affect the necessary change.
Earlier while welcoming participants for the workshop, Senior Research Fellow with CDD prof. Mala Mustapha who spoke through a webinar charged the participants to pay attention to the training and make the best use out of it.
He described the training as very important especially with a strategic partner like NOA and community leaders as the region craves for peace after the devastating boko Haram crisis.
No comments:
Post a Comment