NGO Engages Stakeholders To Promote Peace, Tolerance

The Global Peace Foundation (GPF) yesterday met with stakeholders to educate them on the importance of peaceful co-existence and tolerance for peace and unity.
Nigeria Country Director of GPF, Rev. John Hayab, said that the interfaith dialogue forum was to enlighten stakeholders on the need to live in peace with one another through love and tolerance.
The Tide source reports that the meeting was attended by over 150 participants including religious and traditional leaders, government officials, women and youths and students in Lapai Local government areas.
It was reported that GPF is a Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) that is working with community stakeholders to strengthen solidarity and mitigate violence in Nigeria.
Hayab, represented by Mr Ahmadu Shettima, a staff in the organisation, said the meeting was also to exchange ideas and strategies on ways to further strengthen the bond existing among communities.
“Interfaith is coming together of people of diverse group to act and speak in one voice irrespective of their differences. This will help them address any misunderstanding that can lead to conflict,” he said.
He added that the essence of the meeting was to help promote shared values across different faiths by working together as one family under God as a basis for building sustainable peace.
According to him, all religions teaches people to do good, non-violence, truth, honesty, and compassion, adding that misinterpretation and ignorance were responsible for religious crisis.
In his remarks, Rev. Adewuyi Davies, Coordinator of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Lapai, called on Christians and Muslims to come together as one entity to address intolerance among them.
“We can only achieve this when we start to trust each other, share experiences and ideas which will give birth to religious tolerance,” he said.
Also, Malam Idris Muhammad, Former Chairman, Interfaith Committee Niger, said that the term ‘interfaith’ does not mean people should stop practicing their religion, but rather understand the similarities and differences that exist in the different religion and tolerate each other.