SFCG HOLDS ONE DAY WORKSHOP, ENGAGES JOURNALISTS ON EXPERIENCE SHARING.
By Raymond Enoch
An international organization, Search for Common Ground (SFCG) and partners has organized a one-Day experience sharing and training workshop for practicing Journalists from Adamawa and Taraba States.
The workshop is organized in conjunction with International Organization for Mitigation (IOM) and Mercy Corps aimed at experience sharing with a view to reviewing their past trainings and strategizing on the way forward.
Paradigm reporter who was one of the participants said facilitators from SFCG have recently carried out this media training in Jalingo where practitioners from the state were trained on conflict sensitivity issues using a Search for Common Ground approach which allows for peace building and the need for warring communities to embrace peace through a sustainable dialogue.
According to our Reporter, SFCG is currently implementing a peace initiative project, tagged, ‘Contributing to the Mitigation of Conflict over Natural resources between Farmer and Herder communities in Adamawa and Taraba (COMITAS) .
In a remark, the Chief of Staff to Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba State, Dr. Jeji Williams, commended SFCG, other implementing partners for choosing Taraba as one among the states for COMITAS project.
He also commended the European Union (EU) for funding the project and advised Journalists to be objective in their reports to avert worsening issues.
Speaking in an exclusive interview during the training, the COMITAS project manager, Gambo Wada said COMITAS is a project which Search for Common Ground (SFCG) is implementing in Adamawa and Taraba states.
According to Wada, three implementation teams of SFCG, IOM and Mercy Corps are working as consortium in the project.
He said the essence of the project is to mitigate or reduce conflicts that arise as a result of natural resources, utilization between farmers and herders’ communities which he stressed had become a very disturbing trend over the years in the two states of Adamawa and Taraba.
He further disclosed that the media is one of the critical Stakeholders especially in information sharing, creation of awareness, dissemination of information associated with promotion of peace, harmony and social cohesion.
Wada explained that COMITAS project works in Nine LGAs of Adamawa and two in Taraba.
Gambo Wada said peaceful coexistence is gradually being experienced among warring communities in the benefitting communities as the people themselves are taking action to make peace especially in dispute associated with land.
“Communities are taking action themselves organizing town hall meetings to solve their problems” Gambo said,
“To the participants, whatever that is coming out of this experience sharing session, they should try and see how they can move it forward” he added,
“When they are promoting peace in COMITAS project, they should be objective and neutral. COMITAS project manager however, thanked the Taraba State government especially the Chairmen of Zing and Lau LGAs of the State for supporting the project in their various localities
