COMITAS II: SFCG engages Adamawa,Taraba Journalists in experience sharing workshop

COMITAS II: SFCG engages Adamawa,Taraba Journalists in experience sharing workshop

 

OKERAFOR ATHANATIUS, JALINGO

A Non Governmental Organization (NGO) under the aegis of Search for Common Ground (SFCG) has organized a 1-Day experience sharing and training workshop for practicing Journalists from Adamawa and Taraba States.

A group photograph of SFCG officials and Journalists from Adamawa and Taraba States

Our Correspondent reports that SFCG in conjunction with International Organization for Mitigation (IOM) and Mercy Corps set aside the 1-day experience sharing workshop for Journalists from the two States with a view to reviewing their past trainings and chatting the way forward.

Our 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 how to report conflict issues using a common ground approach which centres on 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 William, 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 interview shortly after the training workshop held at Grand Shield Hotel, Jalingo, 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.

Describing the above stated as the reasons why the media is highly involved in the project, Baba explained that COMITAS project works in Nine LGAs of Adamawa and two in Taraba.

Since implementation of COMITAS projects in the two states with the media, Gambo Wada said peaceful coexistence is gradually being experienced among warring 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”,

“To the participants, whatever that is coming out of this experience sharing session, they should try and see how they can move it forward”,

“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.