The Osun State government has been urged to incorporate youths from Ilobu, Ifon and Erin-Osun into its effort to fully reconcile the three warring communities over the age-long boundary crisis.
Conflict resolution experts made the appeal on Thursday in Osogbo at the opening session of the three-day training on conflict resolution, mediation, non-violent communication and civic advocacy for 30 selected youths in the three communities.
The training which was organised by two Non-Governmental Organisations, Future Builders Initiative and Peace Education Advocacy and Climate Action for Development, was to look for a lasting solution to the age-long boundary disputes between the three communities.
One of the facilitators, Mr Wasiu Adebiyi, while addressing the participants, said the state government had been trying to resolve the crisis through the community elders thereby neglecting the youths who are very instrumental to the conflict.
Adebiyi said those fuelling the crisis in the three communities utilised youth to cause mayhem, adding that the government has to engage and empower the youths to shun violence.
Adebiyi said, “For the past maybe 7-8 years, the government has been trying to solve the problem through the elders and I think they left behind the larger percentage of people that are very instrumental to this conflict and violence, which are the youth.
“The youth have not been fully captured in this reconciliation process by the government. So I believe the government should try to incorporate youth into their peaceful co-existence agenda. Youths are the ones the elders are using to cause conflict and violence within those towns. But if they are well informed, if they know the gravity of the harm, of the hazard that the action can lead to in those towns, they will become a change agent and they will serve as a paradigm shift for peaceful co-existence among their people.”
In his remarks, the Executive Director, Peace Education Advocacy and Climate Action for Development, Olawale Akinremi, said the organisations would further engage stakeholders in the three communities on how to find a lasting peace after the training.
“This is a six-month-long project and we are still going to each community. We are targeting the youth first and after that, we are going to the community one after the other to have what we call community engagement,” he said.
The Programme Officer, Future Builders Initiative, Farida Igbayilola, said the organisations planned to make the participants ambassadors for peace who would create a peaceful coalition among the communities.
“The choice of the youth is the fact that youth are the larger percentage of the community. The youth need to understand that peace is paramount and they have to live in coalition, in harmonious society and keep themselves together as brothers and sisters.”
Follow the OSUNDOTLIFE channel on WhatsAppKindly share this story | All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from OSUNDOTLIFE.
Contact: editor@osun.life
WhatsApp: 📲 +2348092333666