As the International Day of Peace is marked globally on September 21, the Institute For Peace And Conflict Resolution (IPCR), the Soccer For Peace Foundation (SPF) and others have admonished Nigerians, international bodies, development partners and stakeholders on the need to embrace peace to ensure the actualisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
With this year’s theme, “Action for Peace: Our Ambition For The #Global Goals”, the Director General of IPCR, Dr Joseph Ochogwu, underscored the importance of peace, saying the International Day of Peace is a call to action against elements that disturb the peace and hamper meaningful development.
The DG noted that the Institute was founded to promote peace and fight against violence.
Dr Mathew Ogwuche of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), who delivered a lecture titled, “Renewed Hope Agenda: Strategies For Enhancing Peace In Present Day Nigeria”, said there is a nexus between a conscious economy that can improve the quality of life of the people and the peace and stability of the system covering national security, economy, education, infrastructure and others.
Ogwuche stressed the need for economic collaboration for social cohesion that will improve improve Gross Domestic Product (GDP), reduce unemployment rate and address issues to redirect Nigeria.
One of the key partners, Executive Director for Soccer for Peace and Global Peace Humanitarian Aid, Peace Ambassador Ozuem Esiri, in his address emphasised the progress soccer has made in uniting Nigerians and the world, adding that it is a sport amongst many others that engage the youth and help redirect their focus. He also called for action towards peace building.
He noted that Soccer for Peace Foundation, Excellence One UK, Global Peace and Humanitarian Aid have all awarded some individuals for their contribution to peace building and humanitarian aid, saying the individuals awarded for the 2023 Global Peace and Humanitarian Awards are Arch Dr. Olumayowa Olurishe and Mr. Chinedu Ezeh, both who pledged theit commitment to doing better.
On his part, the keynote speaker, Dr Ira Helfand, a Noble Peace Prize recipient and the immediate-past president for the Prevention of Nuclear War, who spoke on the topic “Action For Peace: Strategies For Enhancing Aid In Nigeria”, said there are factors and strategies for enhancing aids to Nigeria which can only happen through global peace.
He, however, warned against factors that increase war, which he said must be discouraged at all times.
He said the increasing rivalry between the United States and Russia had the potential to blow into a crisis that could destabilise the world and ruin peace efforts already put in place if not checked.
The pioneer DG of IPCR and the chairman of the ceremony, Professor Sunday Ochoche, said government needed to take action to negotiate peace through policy redirection. He added that researches needed to be strengthened to engage government in policy-making decisions.
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