By Naziru Idris Ya’u

Celebrating Peace: ActionAid Nigeria/Dispute Resolution and Development Initiative Commemorates International Peace Day with Cultural Festivities

On a radiant day marked by vibrant cultural displays, ActionAid Nigeria/Dispute Resolution and Development Initiative commemorated the International Day of Peace with an event that brought together communities in a celebration of harmony and resilience.

The Peace Fiesta, held in honor of this significant occasion, showcased various cultural troupes that performed traditional dances, songs, and skits, emphasizing the theme of unity amid diversity.

Speaking at the occasion, Andrew Amebu, the Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, articulated the organization’s commitment to fostering inclusive development and sustainable peace in communities. “Today, we celebrate not just peace, but the ideals of brotherhood and the importance of understanding across cultures and nations,” she stated. “This event is a reminder that our shared commitment to peace is groundbreaking for the futures we want to create.”

Over the past 20 months, ActionAid Nigeria has made significant inroads into building community resilience against violent extremism. The organization recently provided livelihood equipment worth 100 million Naira (approximately 71,428.5 USD) to 600 youth and women across Kano and Kaduna States. These beneficiaries, trained in seven different vocational skills, are a vital part of the organization’s effort to promote socio-economic stability and discourage violent extremism.

Hajiya Dankabo highlighted that over 15,000 direct beneficiaries have been engaged in sensitization programs, cultivating a culture that values peaceful coexistence and embraces diversity. The ripple effect of these programs is evident in the increasingly harmonious interactions within these communities.

Partnering with the Dispute Resolution and Development Initiative (DRDI), the event also featured novelty football matches aimed at improving peace and social cohesion among community members. “Sports have emerged as a vital tool for unifying people, transcending differences, and creating a peaceful environment,” remarked the Executive Director of DRDI, Dr. Mustapha Muhammad Yahaya, who noted that such initiatives are crucial for strengthening communal ties.

International Peace Day, observed annually, is a global call to action that encourages individuals and communities to prioritize peace above all differences. The day resonates deeply with the objectives of Sustainable Development Goal 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) and Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), both of which are instrumental in fostering a harmonious world.

This year’s theme, “Cultivating a Culture of Peace,” served as an impetus for ActionAid Nigeria to mobilize communities against ethnicism, discrimination, and intolerance. Supported by the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) in collaboration with Global Peace Development, the organization has been implementing the System and Structure Strengthening Approach Against Radicalisation to Violence Extremism (SARVE III) project. This initiative has resulted in the establishment of 24 women’s safe spaces along with Peace Clubs and Local Conflict Management Alliances aimed at enhancing early warning capabilities for conflict and promoting peacebuilding efforts.

The cultural extravaganza at the event was a fitting highlight, demonstrating how art and tradition can symbolize and signify the ideals of peace and stability in communities. Each performance served as a reminder of the rich cultural tapestry that binds communities, encouraging them to embrace their differences as a source of strength rather than division.

As the sun set on the event, the atmosphere lingered with hope and the promise of ongoing efforts toward building resilient, peaceful communities throughout Nigeria. ActionAid’s initiatives reflect a broader commitment to weaving peace into the fabric of society—an endeavor that requires continuous collaboration, engagement, and education for lasting impact.

Footage broadcast by TV GloboNews showed a large area on fire and smoke appearing to billow from an apparent plane fuselage.

A passenger plane carrying 62 people has crashed in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Footage broadcast by TV GloboNews showed a large area on fire and smoke appearing to billow from an apparent plane fuselage.

The plane carrying 62 people, including crew members, has crashed in the city of Vinhedo, Brazil, according to the local firefighters Corps, Sky News reports.

The Voepass flight, an ATR-72 plane, was travelling from Cascavel in Parana state to Guarulhos in Sao Paolo state when it went down.

Voepass has confirmed the incident but has not yet released information on potential fatalities or injuries.

The cause of the crash is still unknown.

A Guinean court has sentenced ex-dictator Moussa Dadis Camara to 20 years in jail for crimes against humanity on Wednesday, after a landmark trial over a 2009 massacre at a political rally.

Seven other defendants were handed terms of up to life imprisonment at the end of the trial that played out over nearly two years, in a judgement welcomed by rights activists.

Security forces had been massively deployed for the hearing, in a case keenly awaited by victims’ families for nearly 15 years.

Just before sentencing, the court had announced the charges would be classified as crimes against humanity.

The court also ordered for compensation to be paid to the victims, running from 200 million to 1.5 billion Guinean francs ($23,000 to $174,000).

On September 28, 2009 and in the following days, members of Dadis Camara’s presidential guard, soldiers, police and militia brutally suppressed an opposition rally at a stadium in the suburbs of Conakry.

In one of the darkest chapters in the West African nation’s history, at least 156 people were killed, hundreds more wounded and 109 women raped, according to a UN-mandated commission of inquiry.

“This trial is of the utmost importance to me,” Kadiatou Sow, who was raped during the massacre and its aftermath, told AFP before the sentencing.

“I want these soldiers to pay a heavy price with sentences befitting their crimes,” added Sow, who also lost her husband in the violence.

Alfa Amadou DS Bah, lead lawyer for the plaintiffs in the case, underlined the importance of the judgement.

“It’s the first time a former head of state has been convicted for such serious crimes, and senior military officers too,” he said.

“I think that this decision must sound the toll against impunity in this country. It’s a great relief for the victims,” he added.

Human Rights Watch also welcomed the judgement.

“The Guinean court’s landmark verdict offers long-awaited justice for victims,” said Tamara Aburamadan, an international justice legal counsel for HRW.

It puts high-level perpetrators in Guinea and elsewhere on notice that justice can prevail.”

Ten of the 12 accused were present to hear the court’s judgement.

Former junta chief Dadis Camara, dressed in a traditional green and yellow boubou, remained motionless as the verdict was read by the court in the capital Conakry.

Along with 11 other government and military officials, Dadis Camara had been accused of murder, sexual violence, torture, abduction and kidnapping.

He always denied any responsibility, blaming his subordinates.

The trial — which began on September 28, 2022, the anniversary of the killings — gripped the West African nation, with the courtroom drama carried on television and radio.

Judges heard from 11 defendants — who blamed each other for the massacre during the trial — as well as a dozen witnesses. Around 100 victims provided chilling testimonies.

The chief prosecutor had called for Dadis Camara and other defendants to be sentenced to life in prison.

Defence lawyers had argued that reclassifying the charges as crimes against humanity on the day of the ruling would rob them of an opportunity to defend themselves and infringe their right to a fair trial.

Both the accused and the plaintiffs have 15 days to appeal the verdict. The prosecutor’s office will have two months.

The trial has taken place against a background of repression of both the opposition to Guinea’s military rulers and the media.

The day before the verdict, protests against the “forced disappearance” of pro-democracy activists Oumar Sylla and Mamadou Billo Bah paralysed parts of Conakry, with several injured in clashes between demonstrators and the police.

Though the authorities deny holding the pair, civil society organisations say they are being held incommunicado. They have called for further demonstrations.

International organisations and human rights activists have highlighted the unprecedented nature of the trial in Guinea.

It is the first of its kind to challenge the impunity of the country’s security forces, which are seldom held to account, according to the UN probe.