NSRP: Peace and stability project

As the slaughter of innocent citizens continue in the North Eastern States of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, Nigerians are mourning and wondering how we got to this stage. Women are taking action on various platforms. In Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, a group of concerned mothers are inviting all those who care to join a […]

As the slaughter of innocent citizens continue in the North Eastern States of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, Nigerians are mourning and wondering how we got to this stage. Women are taking action on various platforms. In Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, a group of concerned mothers are inviting all those who care to join a peaceful walk that is ‘non political, non tribal and non religious because East, West, North, South we are one. These brutal murders cannot be ignored. Together, as women, our mourning voices shall be heard. Men are also welcomed to join in a supportive role.’
 The invitation sent through an internet network requested all participants to wear any black attire and turn up to express their sorrow. In addition to prayers, they will and urge that urgent action is taken to end the bloodletting. Being out of the country, I sent an apology and my prayers to the group of concerned mothers.
Before my trip, I spent the previous week at a workshop facilitating the process of developing a work plan for a nongovernmental organisation the Women’s Peace and Security Network. The two day workshop which held March 25 and 26 2014 at Hotel 17 in Kaduna was supported by the Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme NSRP.  
       The NSRP came into being to address among others the insecurity in the Northern region of Nigeria which has claimed many lives and properties, has become a national embarrassment and very worrisome to the international community. Women are caught up in the web of these conflicts because they form the actual bulk of causalities, as widows and mothers. Without peace there can be no progress. Even those who cause the disruption of peace do so because their own concerns were neglected or unsettled. Instruments of conflict resolution have to be employed in bringing around the dissidents and the discontent and accommodating the excluded. It is important to recognize the multiple sources of capacity women can bring to use, particularly in our circumstances in Nigeria and to have in place, adequate mechanisms for promoting peace and resolving conflicts in areas prone to crisis. This cannot be realized if women’s presence, voices and experiences continue to be absent in critical policies and programs.
              The workshop participants were drawn from members of the Women Peace Network WPSN Kaduna, Plateau and Borno States, staff of Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Economic Planning and Justice from the project states and consultants from Borno and River states who are expected to step down the training to the other members of the network in the North East and Niger Delta Regions. The project focuses on improving conflict prevention and management mechanisms at state and local levels ¬ so that security and peace building institutions work together more effectively and become more participatory, inclusive and accountable.
The NSRP works with state and non-state institutions, including traditional and religious bodies, at the Federal level, eight states and 24 target Local government Areas LGAs in four zones worse affected by violent conflicts in Nigeria. These are the North East, North West, North Central and Niger Delta. The eight States covered are Borno, Yobe, Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers.
           In her welcome remarks, Dr Eleanor Nwadinobi the National Coordinator of NSRP expressed delight at the impressive turnout of participants. She requested a round of applause for the Borno delegation for their bravery, travelling by road through the landmine of violence because all flights to the troubled city have been suspended.
Dr Nwadinobi explained that the NSRP is funded by UK Department for International Development DFID and managed by a consortium of the British Council, International Alert and Social Development Direct (SDD). The project developed from a partnership between the European union EU, UN and UNICEF, The partners developed a programme known as “Promoting Women’s engagement in Peace and Security in Northern Nigeria”. It aims to enhance women’s participation in peace building in Northern Nigeria’.
One of the strategies adopted is to build capacity of peace advocates on the National Action Plan NAP for Peace developed by Nigeria to implement the United Nations Security Council Resolution UNSCR1325 on promoting women’s involvement in peace and security. Dr. Lydia Umar, the Executive Director of Kaduna-based Gender Awareness Team and my humble self were among the four consultants commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to develop Nigeria’s National Action Plan NAP for UNSCR  1325 last year.  We were therefore delighted to be invited as resource persons to facilitate a workshop for implementation of NAP at state level for NSPR’s partners.
The NSRP has catalysed the establishment of a Women’s Peace and Security Network WPSN and believes that it is imperative to train members of the network. Hannatu Essien, the Zonal NSRP Coordinator in Kaduna presented the objectives of the workshop. Among them were, to increase the knowledge of participants on UN Resolution 1325, linkages and foundation of the Nigeria National Action Plan. Others are to disseminate the contents of the NAP and clarify roles and responsibilities of civil society organisations and government as identified in the document.
      We made presentations on the five pillars of NAP which are Prevention, Protection, Participation, Promotion, Prosecution. The prevention pillar would reinforce preventive performance by strengthening women’s roles/contribution in conflict resolution and promote the culture of peace. Protection is about strengthening women and girls capacity to resist sexual and gender based violence during and after conflicts. It will ensure socio-economic empowerment of women and girls in post conflict reconstruction and integration.
Participation focuses on training women and girls as mediators, negotiators and conciliators in conflicts and post conflict situations and taking special measures to ensure the participation of women at all levels of peace process. The Promotion pillar is about undertaking massive enlightenment programs to increase awareness creation on the provisions of UN Security Council Resolutions 1325, 1889 and 1820 and intensifying advocacy against traditional and cultural practices that inhibit or obstruct the effective implementation of 1325. Prosecution focuses on establishing special courts to try violators of women and girls during and after conflicts and initiating a process of collaboration between the police and social workers in the prosecution of gender based violence.
The participatory workshop had plenary sessions, and group work where participants developed implementation plans and monitoring and evaluation framework for their states. These were presented in plenary for review and fine tuning by all.