By Augustine Okezie
The United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has announced the development of a training manual as part of the agency’s project collaboration with the UN Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF), established by the United Nations Secretary-General in June, 2005, to ensure coordination and coherence of global counter-terrorism members’ efforts of the UN system with the collaboration of its States.
A statement by the Programme Assistant UNESCO Regional Office, Abuja, Mrs Silvia Iwuchukwu, disclosed that UNESCO began implementing the project in Nigeria in 2012 with a focus on conflict prevention, peace education and de-radicalisation of youth and adults in the North-east, North-central and South-south Nigeria.
She said the project activities under consideration included training of women on peace and early warning; a dialogue conference for traditional leaders on peace; contextual studies on traditional practices conducive to sustainable peace building and conflict resolution; production of training manuals and town hall meetings.
Mrs Iwuchukwu said UNESCO and UN/CTITF also considered support for conflict prevention, promotion of peace education, strengthening of development and social inclusion of vulnerable communities, as vital efforts that can counter terrorism and violent extremism in Nigeria.