nterfaith Mediation Centre (IMC), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has trained 60 youths as Community Peace Observers (CPOs) on Early Warning and Early Response (EWER) to conflict.
Pastor Joshua Pyeng, IMC Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, said at the inauguration of the CPOs on Monday in Kaduna, that the training was aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence.
Pyneg said the training would also empower the communities on how to resist violent extremism and link between conflict mitigation and development initiatives.
According to him, the training would enable youths in the area to initiate what would prevent conflict through early warning and early response with their communities.
He said that at the end of the two-day training, the youths would be equipped with leadership and dialogue skills to ensure peaceful coexistence in their various communities.
He noted that the youths would also learn how to report conflict situation in their various communities and link such to existing platform at the state and national levels.
“The training will empower the communities on how to prevent and respond to violence and extremism by strengthening key skills and relationships.
‘The training will also enable them know how to curtail and stop any form of violence that may came up within their various communities,’’ the IMC director said.
He further said that the CPOs were selected from Kaduna north which includes Gabasawa community, Unguwan Rimi and Uguwan Sarki while others from are Kabala and Kawo communities.
One of the participants, Timothy Sajo, from Anguwan Rimi unguwan Kudu community said the programme was timely.
He said the training would enable participants to know how to manage violence in their various communities, as some could not handle slight conflict. (NAN)
