Peace Arena Foundation kick-starts in Lagos, promises to build young leaders in Nigeria
- A public health physician and senior lecturer at the University of Lagos, Doyin Ogunyemi, has emphasised why peace should be promoted in Nigeria
- Ogunyemi made this known on Friday, October 1, during the official launching of Peace Arena for Youth Foundation (PAY-F)
- According to her, youths are prosecutors of 90-95% of all violent conflicts in the country, saying that they need to be educated on the importance of peace among people
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Alausa, Lagos - In an effort to provide education on leadership and peacebuilding using 'peacejam’s international education programme among young people in schools and communities, Peace Arena for Youth Foundation (PAY-F) has been officially launched in Lagos state.
Legit.ng reports that while speaking during the launching of PAY-F on Friday, October 1, the executive director of the foundation, Dr. Doyin Ogunyemi, said the international education programme (www.peacejam.org) would connect young people with Nobel Peace Laureates.
Source: Original
She said the mission of the foundation is to create young leaders committed to positive change in themselves, their communities and the world.
Ogunyemi noted that they teach them to avert violence by incorporating a scientific approach and population perspective while integrating knowledge from multiple disciplines.
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She said:
"We realise that the rate of youth violence has increased in Nigeria and many developing countries over the years. This, not only contribute to the global burden of premature deaths, injury and disability but also has a serious often lifelong impact on a person’s psychological and social functioning."
Ogunyemi stated that the main victim and perpetrators of violence in almost every country are adolescents and young adults.
She further stated:
"At PAY-F, we aim to sensitize the youths in Nigeria around the issue of violence and its related societal consequences by raising them as peer educators through proven techniques.
"This programme was envisioned about seven years when I made my Bill Huntley Seminar Presentation. Youths are prosecutors of 90-95% of all violent conflicts in Nigeria."
The public health physician said the objective of PAY-F was to empower people with leadership and conflict resolution skills and to improve their interpersonal relationships and team-building capabilities.
She said it would provide opportunities for budding leaders to take action in their local communities and globally, promote more peaceful and prosperous societies by advocating for fairness, equity and justice.
Ogunyemi added:
"PAY-F will run the PeaceJam programme in Nigeria. The PeaceJam Foundation is an international organization that pilot the programme in four schools involve school teachers as volunteers.
"It assigns PAY-F volunteers to each the schools, establish peace clubs in the schools. A 15-week curriculum (education, inspiration, action) over an academic session. It will host an annual PeaceJam conference of all schools/students involved and spread to other states in Nigeria."
In his remarks, the chairman of the occasion, Deacon Seye Agboola said the importance of peace in the life of every nation cannot be over-emphasised.
He said no country can achieve greatness without a peaceful co-existence among people while he commended the host on the initiative.
2 Chibok girls graduates from Top University in US
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that two Chibok girls identified as Joy and Lydia graduated from Southeastern University in Florida and their adorable graduation photos have lit up social media.
It was reported that the photos were shared by a tweep with the handle @OnyeAjuju who said hearing Lydia lay out her ambitious future plans is an absolute joy.
The ladies' photos generated some reactions after they were shared on Twitter by tweep with the handle @OnyeAjuju.
Source: Legit.ng
