Stakeholders in Imo State have been sensitised on conflict prevention, violent extremism, crisis management and peacebuilding to enhance their capacity to address critical issues in the region.
A workshop was organised by the West African Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) in partnership with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), with funding from the European Union (EU) in Owerri, state capital in this regard.
National coordinator and secretary to the board of WANEP Nigeria, Dr Bridget Osakwe, took participants through the importance of peace and strategies to ensure peaceful coexistence.
Osakwe noted that Imo had come under attention following violent activities allegedly linked to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra and Eastern Security Network in the state, maintaining that peace was pivotal for development.
Osakwe appealed to participants to deploy the lessons learnt to solve critical issues within communities, associations, and institutions across the state.
The programme manager of WANEP on conflict resolution, emphasised the lessons on conflict prevention, dynamics, warning signs and how to stop it before it results to breakdown of law and order.
She maintained that conflict often stems from misunderstandings and disagreements that can escalate into violence, adding that lasting peace cannot be achieved unless root causes are addressed.
