Thirty four media organizations made up of Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, Editors, on air personalities, reporters and other critical stakeholders have converged on Lagos with the aim of promoting sustainable peace towards mitigating violence in six states of Nigeria.
Amb. Sani Bala, Executive Director, Savannah Centre for Diplomacy and Development in a opening remarks at a two day Community initiative to promote peace conflict-sensitive reporting workshop for media practitioners holden at Pearlwort Hotel, Alausa Ikeja, Lagos State, said the workshop is aimed at developing bills, policies towards preventing violence and responding to violence through Conflict sensitive reporting.
The two day workshop is organized by Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development (SCDDD), in collaboration with Mercy Corps Nigeria, African Radio and Drama Association (ARDA) and Interfaith Mediation Center (IMC) geared towards addressing ways and manner of media reportage, on the need for “Conflict-Sensitive Reporting Workshop for Media Practitioners”.
The Community Initiative to Promote Peace (CIPP) project, is currently being undertaking in partnership with Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC), Pastoral Resolve (PARE) and Africa Radio and Drama Association (ARDA) with support from Mercy Corps Nigeria, is designed to mitigate violent conflict in at-risk communities in six states of Nigeria’s North West (Kaduna, Kano, and Katsina States) and North Central (Kogi, Benue and Plateau States) zones through an integrated, multifaceted program that; aimed at empowering communities to prevent and respond to violence and violent extremism by strengthening key skills and relationships.
The workshop initiative is also aimed at fostering an enabling environment for peace through policy advocacy, media outreach, and linkages to development programs, with a call on the media to be in the vanguard in promoting peace through conflict sensitive reporting.
The Executive Director SCDDD pointed out that there is no alternative to peace in building sustainable development, noted that the country presently has a problem on its hands, but urged the media to rise using the workshop to respond to solving the problem.
Amb. Sani Bala urged the media to seek ways using the workshop for ensure that media reports are carried out to build National cohesion, pointing out that the media is a critical aspect of nation building.
In goodwill messages by the ARDA, and IMC urged that the Conflict sensitive reporting workshop should serve as a impetus for the media practitioners to create a peaceful society, described the workshop as apt ahead the forthcoming 2023 General elections.