Group sets up peace ambassadors to manage violence in Jos

In an effort to manage and bring an end to the crisis between  Muslim and Christian communities in Plateau State, a group known as Youth Initiative Against Violence and Human Rights Abuse (YIAVHA), has set up 50 Youth Inter-Faith Peace Ambassadors in Jos North Local Government Area of the State.

The Youth ambassadors are drawn from both Christian and Muslim communities who would be saddled with the responsibility of educating and enlightening youths who were born during the 2001 Jos crisis to shun violence and embrace peace.

The Executive Director of (YIAVHA), Comrade Jacob Pwakim Choji, while inaugurating the Ambassadors, at a one-day youth workshop on the community, called on members of the group to be peacemakers by ensuring their communities live in peace.

He said, “Over the years, politics has been the bane of our development and has resulted to the crisis in Jos and Nigeria and based on our findings it was due to wrong stories or stories that are not told of a collaborative way of politics which has caused violence in the State.

“We have brought together young people with energy who in our analysis are found to be key actors.

“We all have our religion and ethnic groups, but we insist that when it comes to state issues we have to drop our religion and ethnicity to enable us to get things right.

“We also came up with this initiative because over the years when you hear of Jos, what comes into your mind is a crisis, but today if we increase the usage of the social media to promote peace and advertise peace initiatives, we will be building an environment of hope for young people in the state.”

Mrs Tongriang Ponfa and Alhassan Dankoli, both of Anguwan Dalyop and Ibrahim Katsina Street in their submissions, acknowledged that the Faith-Plus activity had impacted immensely in their lives and was proud to be part of the 50 Ambassadors inaugurated, to propagate peaceful coexistence in the state.