, a nonprofit organization led by its Secretary General, Ambassador Professor Muyiwa Ezekiel Babalola, on Thursday maintained that the council would facilitate the development of mechanisms that would bring about lasting coexistence among individuals in the country.){kind=link}
Amid crises in different parts of the country, the United Nations International Peace Council (UNIPC), a nonprofit organization led by its Secretary General, Ambassador Professor Muyiwa Ezekiel Babalola, on Thursday maintained that the council would facilitate the development of mechanisms that would bring about lasting coexistence among individuals in the country.
Professor Babalola who is the United Nations International Volunteer spoke during the inauguration of the South West leaders of the peace council in Lagos State.
He said: “Our mission is also to promote peace, gender equality, health, economic progress and access to education, awareness in relation to rights of children, women and youth building in the world.”
Babalola said that through UNIPC, social cohesion would be strengthened “because societies are becoming more polarized with hate speech, community clashes, chieftaincy crisis, political crisis and divisions cum instability.
“Let us be inspired by Madiba’s message that each of us can make a difference in promoting peace, human rights, harmony with nature and dignity for all.
“Let us say what we feel and feel what we say; let speech harmonize with life. Peace does not mean an absence of conflict: difference will always be there.
“Peace means solving this difference through peaceful means; through dialogue, education, knowledge and through humane ways. Freedom is a possession of inestimable value.”
He said that the event was to showcase the most important transformation that had to be nurtured to realize everyone’s fundamental rights to peace, education, volunteerism and build a more sustainable, inclusive and peaceful futures.
“The peace council will facilitate the development of mechanisms for cooperation among all relevant stakeholders in peace building in Nigeria by promoting cooperative problem solving to conflicts and by institutionalizing the process of response to conflicts to provide outcomes that lead to conflict transformation, social, political and religious reconciliation and transformative dialogues.
“We are introducing new dimensions, innovation and strategic approach to peace building through volunteerism for sustainable development for our common future”, he said.
On his part, the UNIPC High Commissioner for Nigeria and a former presidential aspirant Mr. Robinson Akpua noted that a call to leadership position in the peace council was by its nature a call for selfless service.
“We do not only work for the elimination of violence but also seek to eradicate in every system, laws and policies that promote discrimination, injustice, inequalityy that tend to undermine the dignity of human person.”
He also disclosed that “the challenge militating against the discharge of these noble duties are enormous but by no means unsurmountable.
“However, in order to discharge effectively our sacred mandate, the spirit of unitarianism is essential if not indispensable.
“Each and everyone of us is expected to employ uncommon love, patience and high level of courage in the discharge of his duty.
“In other words, we are expected to fully devote ourselves to the promotion of peace in the society without attachment to the material gain or profit.”
Also on the occasion, the Chief Executive Officer of Avrust Consult, Mr. Felix, Nnamdi Unachukwu who doubled as the Chairman of the occasion, stated that the issue of peace in any society could not be over-emphasised, hence the desire for everyone to work for a peaceable society.
Unachukwu said: “Peace is a journey with us and the gathering is a great inspiration to embark on this journey.
“We are here today to facilitate, advocate and give support for a peaceful coexistence of humanity all over the world.”
He noted that the world through the instrument of technology has become small, hence any conflict in any part of the world will indirectly affect the rest economically or politically.
Citing the impact of COVID-19, he said the virus which had its origin in a spot in the globe has caused great damage to the entire world and so would be a case of conflict not properly handled.
“The world needs peace more than ever for quick economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
On the impact of UNIPC, Unachukwu disclosed that “the agency has raised leaders who in turn have become agents of change in the society and who remain relentless in making sure that there is peace all over the world.
He charged the new ambassadors to be steadfast in their duties as humanity was looking up to them with the hope that they would make the world a better place through their individual efforts.
“I urge everyone to see peace as a concept of a societal friendship and harmony for development, healthy economic activities and progress,” he added “