CIPP expresses confidence in capacity of Plateau Media Practicioners in Peace Building

The Conflict Technical Adviser for the Community Initiative to Promoting Peace (CIPP), Mr Godwin Akoko, has expressed confidence in the media practitioners in Plateau State. He believes that they will come up with initiatives to address issues of peace and conflict resolution, which will ultimately promote sustainable peace in the long run.

Mr Akoko made this statement at the end of a Two-Day Capacity Building for Media practitioners in Jos. Our Correspondent who was part of the training reports that the event was organized under the CIPP Program in collaboration with Mercy Corps and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Practitioners from different media components in the State attended the event, which focused on Conflict Sensitivity Reportage as a tool for peace building and conflict management.

Mr Akoko expressed optimism about the formation of the Plateau Peace Media Network will provide a platform for regular reportage of individual/ community-level efforts aimed at peace building, de-escalation of tension in communities, and mitigation of sensational reportage among media organizations and practitioners were reported.

He considered the formation of the Plateau Peace Media Network as a positive step towards achieving these goals. He further expressed optimism that the network would lead to innovative initiatives that would be implemented immediately and effectively. The aim was to create a platform where media organizations and practitioners could collaborate and work towards promoting peace and harmony in the region.

Plateau State has been recovering from different forms of conflicts in the last two decades and this initiative is coming at a time the state is faced with a resurgence of such conflicts in Mangu, Barkin Ladi, and parts of Riyom LGAs in the State. 

Recall that the Chief of Army Staff Major General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja was in the State to set up a new military operation in the State in order to stem the tide as part of effort to return normalcy in the State.