GPF Nigeria Encourages the Community to Come Together for Peaceful Transition Following Elections

Editor — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 16:31:09 +0000

Sheik Hailru Abdullahi Maraya and Rev. John Joseph Hayab hosting a joint meeting with local leaders of Goska, Dangoma, Bakin Kogi and Ambam

While Nigeria is working to transition a new administration that began on May 29, 2023, Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Nigeria has been tirelessly working behind the scenes to ensure peace before, during, and after election season.

The country, like many around the world, faces tension during each election season. However, GPF Nigeria’s ongoing work to prevent election violence has significantly lowered violence, including retaliation violence, and encouraged peaceful dialogue among diverse communities.

GPF’s vision, “One Family under God,” is at the core of every gathering hosted by GPF Nigeria. One of the latest assemblies brought together faith leaders, traditional rulers, and prominent youth and women leaders for a forum titled “The Role of Faith Leaders in Dousing Post-Election Tension.”

Rev. John Joseph Hayab, the Country Director of GPF Nigeria, gave welcoming remarks and recognized the significance of the audience’s diversity, saying, “There are lots of misgivings, misconceptions and misrepresentations of issues, particularly in social media which are capable of hampering the peace we worked together to achieve before, during and after the elections.”

“Elections are not over in Nigeria until after the inauguration and conclusion of cases in the court,” said Rev. Hayab. He charged the clerics and other leaders present to actively participate in helping dispel tension and mitigate violence amongst their followers.

Sheikh Halliru Abdullahi Maraya, the Northern Coordinator of GPF Nigeria, stated that the 2023 general elections were one of the most peaceful in the last 100 years of Nigerian political record thanks to the hard work of all parties present at the peacebuilding forum. Sheik Maraya applauded religious leaders for not letting political agendas overtake their places of worship but instead encouraged people to uphold common values and the nation’s interests as a whole. “Regardless of religious leanings, faith leaders must accept that as humans, we are first, members of one family under God and do all they can to preach it,” Sheik Maraya said.

(Left) Rev. John Joseph Hayab and Sheikh Halliru Abdullahi Maraya (Right) greet participants at a post-election forum hosted by GPF Nigeria.

Alhaji Yusuf Muhammad, the Sa’en Lere, who is the representative of Kaduna State Traditional Council and joint Patron of the KSPMC, and Rev. Bitrus Dangiwa, the Co-Chairman of KSPMC emphatically sounded in their separate remarks that Kaduna State Peace and Mediation Committee is one of the best things that has ever happened to Kaduna state. Alhaji Yusuf said, “The last election is the most peaceful I have witnessed in my life as an electorate in this country. It was relatively peaceful, particularly in Kaduna state, and thanks to the effort of GPF Nigeria.” He further pointed out that war and crisis begin from something small, so the Nigerian people must not give it a chance. He agreed with other speakers saying, “Religious leaders must set the standard and live by example. Do all you can and ensure you disseminate what we discuss here in your various churches and mosques.”

People across faith and denomination embraced the message of peace at the forum, pledging to work towards a peaceful transition during the administration turnover.

GPF Nigeria continues to advocate for community-driven peacebuilding through Peace and Reconciliation Committees around the country. Groups like the Lapai Peace and Reconciliation Committee are expanding sub-committees to address specific needs such as “Research, Quick Response, and Mediation.” Peace and Reconciliation Committees also conduct training programs for volunteers and are the planners for peace festivals that will be held throughout the coming year.

The original post appears on Global Peace Foundation. Global Peace Foundation is an international non-sectarian, non-partisan, nonprofit organization, which promotes an innovative, values-based approach to peacebuilding, guided by the vision of One Family under God. GPF engages and organizes a global network of public and private-sector partners who develop community, national, and regional peacebuilding models as the foundation for ethical and cohesive societies. Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon is the founder and chairman of the Global Peace Foundation.

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Cultivating Alto Paraguay

Main — Fri, 18 May 2012 17:57:28 +0000

GPF has partnered with the local government to launch an organic farm in Alto Paraguay.

I see the Chaco region as a place of untapped natural and human potential. I am confident that in the near future we will see it generate significant models and precedents that will contribute to the development of the rest of Paraguay and Latin America.

Alto Paraguay is one of three departments, or states, that make up Paraguay’s Chaco region. This department has struggled to keep up with the rest of Paraguay due to political corruption and inconsistent policies and programs. As a result it has remained underdeveloped, with little infrastructure and investment. Yet, from the people that I met during my recent visit there, I know that though they currently lack resources, they have an abundance of heart and character.

There are two projects that I visited in Puerto Casado, the largest town in Alto Paraguay, that have strengthened this conviction. The Global Peace Festival Foundation (GPFF) is partnering with residents, local government and organizations to rehabilitate a major fish farm and develop an organic community farm.

Due to land seizures, the fish ponds were neglected for many years. Our project brought together local residents to begin clearing and restoring the ponds. Universities in Asuncion have provided know-how and expertise for the success and sustainability of the project. Slowly the fish farm has been revived pond by pond. The fish are a low-fat, omega-3 rich source of protein for the local residents. The fish farm has developed into an industry that provides jobs and hope for the local residents.

The organic farm was started by GPFF, with a grant of from the government of Alto Paraguay. It began as a community garden to experiment the soil’s arability. The project revealed that the soil is rich and can support a variety of plants. The current list of crops at the farm includes: tomatoes, lettuce, onions, basil, carrots, potatoes, zucchini, green onions, green peppers, parsley, cucumbers and medicinal herbs.

Traditionally, the residents in this region of the Chaco are not farmers. Thus, they were not familiar with land cultivation practices, and their diet did not included fresh vegetables. Related to this, heart disease and poor dental health are major health issues. In the beginning some of the residents were hesitant to try our produce. For many of them it was the first time they had access to fresh vegetables. The produce has changed their diet significantly.

The garden is supported by the townspeople who contribute towards the costs of running the farm in exchange for a weekly bag of seasonal vegetables. The next stage is to develop the commercial aspect of the operation so that it can sustain itself.

These community-driven projects not only provide food and a livelihood, they are building the confidence and dignity of the residents of Puerto Casado. They are able to work the land and ponds to provide for their families. What is more, these projects are building partnerships with universities, the government and the people to develop a long term vision and plan for development.

In the late 90s, my Father came to Paraguay and spent months fishing the rivers and living together with the local residents. It was his way of investing himself in the land and people. This is how he set the foundation for the future growth and prosperity of the region. He planted his heart and dream into the rivers and soil.

In 2008, he asked that I come to Paraguay. He told me, “Paraguay is the womb of Latin America.” I know that a part of him still beats in this land. His dream of peace for the people that he connected with in the small villages remains alive. During my visit to Puerto Casado, I saw that the seeds he planted are now bearing fruit.

I am committed to their continued cultivation as we work to realize the dream of One Family Under God in this part of the world.

[FMP width=”640″ height=”360″]http://www.hyunjinmoon.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/hyun-jin-moon-fish-farm.mov[/FMP]

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GPF Nigeria Encourages the Community to Come Together for Peaceful Transition Following Elections

Cultivating Alto Paraguay