The Executive Director of Savannah Centre for Diplomacy Democracy and Development (SCDDD), Ambassador Sani S. Bala has pointed out the significance of training for media practitioners as vital element for strengthening stakeholders’ capacity on international best practices on peace building and sensitive conflict reportage in preventing and responding to violence.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of a two day workshop on the Community Initiatives to Promote Peace (CIPP) conflict sensitive reporting for journalists held at Pearlwort hotel and suites, Alausa Ikeja, Lagos, Bala explained that the essence of the workshop was aimed at creating awareness and analyzing evidence based assessment on developing relevant existing states and federal policies including media bills that had lingered.
According to him, the project currently undertaken in partnership with Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC), Pastoral Resolve (PARE) and African Radio and Drama Association (ARDA) with support from Mercy Corps Nigeria is designed to mitigate violent conflicts in and risk communities in six states of Nigeria’s North West namely; Kaduna, Kano and Katsina and North Central which include Kogi, Benue and Plateau States through an integrated multifaceted programme that aimed at empowering communities to prevent and respond to violence and violent extremism by strengthening key skills and relationship.
The workshop is also to foster enabling environment for peace through policy advocacy media outreach and linkages to development programmes which would make the media rise up to and be proactive solving problems with the understanding of the present challenges the country is faced with.
The ambassador who was Nigeria’s first representative to Qatar urged the media to seek ways of using the workshop to ensure that reports are carried out to build national cohesion, pointing out that the media is a critical aspect of nation building.
In their respective good will messages, the partners appealed to participants that conflict sensitive reporting should serve as impetus for media practitioners to create a peaceful society, describing the workshop as timely ahead of the 2023 general elections.
