Group to establish peace clubs in schools across the north

Search for Common Ground (SFCG), an international nongovernmental organisation, has announced plans to establish peace and security clubs across schools in the north.

Speaking at a meeting in Abuja, Fatima Madaki, senior project coordinator of the organisation, said the club will advance peace education especially among the younger generation.

She added that it is part of the organisation’s efforts to tackle insecurity, particularly religious crisis in the region.

According to her, the Advancing Religious Tolerance (ART38) project is also aimed at addressing hate speech among religious leaders.

The project coordinator urged the federal government to deepen engagement with religious institutions and religious leaders.

“Issues that come out strongly are issues around peace education, how to target young people, have them sensitized on religious issues and tolerance,” she said.

“Some conflicts are not necessarily religious, but the way they are presented to seem like issues of religious conflict, but they are not, we need to increase awareness.”

Also speaking, Elizabeth James, legal practitioner, said establishing peace and security clubs in schools will bring the issues to the grassroots.

“The issue of religion should not be discussed at the higher level, we are going to start with primary schools and then Secondary schools, we will liaise with the ministry of education to work on their curriculum,” she said