The leadership of Search For Common Ground (SFCG) has said that no human life is worth terminating as a result of his or her religion beliefs.
SFCG who stormed the state over the weekend to advocates for collective efforts to promote and protect freedom of religion and belief throughout the country, emphasized that no life should be lost due to differences in religious beliefs.
They said rather than resorting to violence, individuals should be allowed to practice the religious of their choice as enshrined in the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.
Their position, as noticed by our correspondent, was made during a three-day training on Freedom of Religion or Belief and Early Warning Response Mechanisms for Stakeholders in the state which took place yesterday, in Jalingo, the state capital.
The training, which our state correspondent noticed to have been held at the NIN hotel, in Jalingo metropolis, drew the present of participants from the entire sixteen local government councils of the State, including security personnel and media practitioners.
In his presentation, SFCG National Conflict and Policy Analyst, Andy Nkemneme, highlighted the need for collaboration with the state government to reduce religious conflicts and empower actors to address and prevent such conflict and other forms of upheavals that have in the past erupted in the state.
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Stressing the importance of establishing effective Early Warning Response and referral mechanisms to address issues that have to do with freedom of religion and belief in both Taraba and Nigeria at large, the need to enhance public understanding of interfaith conflicts, as well as supporting individuals that are observed to be at the risk of being violated against their religious beliefs, he said have become paramount.
Aligning their weights to that of Nkemneme, other facilitators who includes the Senior Project Officer Habiba Gazali, the Project Manager Daniel Ogabiela, the Head of Programme Implementation, Godwin Okoko, reiterated SFCG’s vision of a world where conflicts lead to progress rather than violence.
Stating that “we envision a world where conflicts doesn’t mean violence, but rather is a source of progress.”
The training, which was organized in collaboration with the state government, was said to have been supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and funded by the European Union.
Participants, particularly security operatives, who bared their minds to our state correspondent, expressed confidence that the knowledge gained would help in mitigating conflicts over natural resources between farmers and herders and as well promote freedom of worship in their various communities spread across the sixteen councils and the 168 wards of the state.
