PIND Holds Capacity Workshop, Training For Niger Delta Peace Champions As 2023 Election Monitors
FOUNDATION For Partnership Initiatives In The Niger-Delta (PIND) recently held a two-day capacity-building workshop for some members of its Niger Delta Peace Champions to train them as election monitors for the 2023 general elections. Peace Champions from Delta, Bayelsa, Ondo, and Edo States participated in the training, which took place at Villa Topscana Hotels, Asaba, Delta State.
Our correspondent learnt that, the young people received conflict management and resolution training and PIND’s Early Warning Early Response (EWER) System. They also learned how to collate data and catalyze targeted responses to drivers of conflicts.
The Peace Champions will work with PIND’s Integrated Peace and Development Unit (IPDU) on conflict reporting on the EWER system, an online and SMS-based platform for collating and analyzing data on emerging and ongoing conflicts during the elections.
PIND’s Consultant on Conflicts Prevention and Peace-building Initiatives, Mr. Akanbi Abiodun, noted that PIND had expanded the reach of its EWER system to accommodate more data around the general elections.
In his words: “We gave the election monitors specialized training in monitoring and reporting election-related conflicts and violence. They were also trained in different peacebuilding modules, including leadership, volunteerism, and conflict management.”
He said that the election monitors had gained skills that they would use to report verified election-related conflict early warning information on the PIND’s SMS EWER platform.
In a separate interview with our correspondent, PIND’s Niger-Delta Peace Champions, commended it for the initiative and the opportunity to be part of conflict prevention ambassadors in the region. Odiri Asite from Delta State said that they learned various strategies for preventing conflicts.
“We can now take part in resolving conflicts in our various communities by analyzing the problems, knowing their definitions and the actors involved, the triggers and drivers, and providing the way out. We can also identify the specific tasks to be carried out apart from reporting conflicts, PIND’s Niger-Delta Peace, he said.”
PIND created the Niger Delta Peace Champions to raise peace actors from among young people interested in contributing to peacebuilding within their communities.
PIND’s Partners for Peace Network Coordinator, High Chief Africas Lawal, stated that PIND’s peacebuilding efforts in the Niger Delta is focused on reducing conflict and creating an enabling environment for economic growth.
PIND is a non-profit organisation that promotes peace and equitable economic growth in Nigeria’s Niger Delta Region through multi-stakeholder partnerships. PIND implements collaborative market-based, community-owned programmes to mitigate conflicts and boost local businesses’ economic opportunities to ensure economic progress in a systemic, inclusive, and sustainable manner.
