African Projects/Foundation for Peace and Love Initiatives (APPLI/AFPLI) held her Fourth (4th) Annual Peace Lecture on September 30, 2020 via Zoom. Simultaneously, the organization used the occasion to celebrate her Seventeenth Anniversary (2003-2020). Though the activities of APPLI/AFPLI went back as far as 1996 in the aftermaths of June 12, 1996 Presidential Elections which witnessed deadly violence and protestations, imprisonments of political rivals and oppositions, and the incarcerations of a handful of people , etc., 2003 became the official incorporation year of APPLI in the United States of America, 2005 in Nigeria, and 2006 in the United Kingdom.
The organization was recognized and accredited by the United Nations Department of Public Information on April 11, 2011, as a non-governmental organization (NGO) promoting proactive grassroots peacebuilding for Ethnoreligious and Ethnopolitical Harmony through Structured Education for Peace (SEP) and Sociocultural adjustment programs. However as far back as 2006, the organization has been actively participating in the peace related activities of the United Nations alongside her own signature programs for proactive peacebuilding in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa.
APPLI/AFPLI began to promote the concept of Youth Peace and Nation Building in the year 2003 by founding four school-based peace clubs, namely: 1. African Children of Peace Club targeted at children in primary schools; the Youth Peace Alliance Club, targeted at teenagers in secondary schools; 3. KAIROS Peace and Love Club, targeted at young Nigerians in tertiary institutions; and ultimately, the New Peace Legacy Club, targeted at young graduates doing one year service through the National Youth Service Corps. The organization has worked tirelessly since 2003 to saturate Nigeria with these school-based peace clubs and counterpart community-based peace clubs with a view to encourage the citizens to eschew violence but embrace peace. Those past years have also seen the promotion of several signature peace programs by the organization, among which are: 1. Students Acquiring Peace Media Skills, 2. 2. Peace Media Parley, and 3. Annual Peace Lectures, to name a few.
Year 2020, being the year of Coronavirus, popularly known as COVID-19 Pandemic, led to the wide usage of Zoom facilities for meetings and events. Our organization during the COVID-19 Saga, carried out numbers of events and activities, mostly by Zoom, namely:
- The 2020 International Children Day of Broadcasting with WFM 91.7 and KAFTAN TV held on March 10and 11, 2020.
- “Humanitarian Intervention for Africans Vulnerable to COVID-19” – A response by Twitter held on 28th May, 2020, to the call of the UN Secretary-General in March 2020 for Seize Fire and joined human resourcefulness and efforts to combat Coronavirus – the invisible enemy plaguing humanity.
- The 26th Airspace Safety Prayer held on August 20, 2020 by Zoom with members of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) fellowships, etc., in attendance.
- Participation through the Zoom on September 17, 2020, when the United Nations Organization observed her 75th Anniversary and marked the 2020 International Day of Peace with theme “Shaping Peace Together.”
- The Fourth Annual Peace Lecture (APL) and commemoration of the 17th Anniversary of the organization held internationally by zoom on September 30, 2020.
- The 27th Airspace Safety Prayers internationally held by Zoom on 10th December 2020 with the theme “Trust in the Lord” Proverbs 3:5-6.
Some details descriptions of the Zoom forum of the 4th Annual Peace Lecture and 17th Anniversary Event.
The Theme of the Event
The theme of the event was “Shaping Peace Together.” This theme resonated with the theme of the 2020 United Nation’s International Day of Peace, which incidentally was held on September 17, 2020, also via Zoom apparatuses.
The United Nations had used her version of Shaping Peace Together to demonstrate how the people of the world can shape peace together while navigating the debacles of the Coronavirus Pandemic for current and future thinking for universal peace building.
Attendance and Audience
The event had scholars, civil right activists, peace advocates and peace ambassadors, government representatives, youths, and peace development initiatives organization, as well as members of various school-based peace clubs, notably KAIROS Peace and Love Clubs, UNILAG Chapter, in attendance. Opportunity for international attendance was possible because the event was held through the Zoom.
Keynote Speakers and Themes
Reverend Dr. Titus K. Oyeyemi, the Founding President and Chief Executive of African Projects/Foundation and Love Initiatives, in his opening message to the event titled “Shaping Peace Through Schools.”
SHAPING PEACE TOGETHER THROUGH SCHOOLS – African Projects For Peace And Love Initiatives.
In his speech, Dr. Oyeyemi emphasized that making “UNITY” the theme of school curriculum at all levels could engender peacebuilding at all levels: families, communities, local, state, regional, national, and international levels. With unity being taught at schools, citizens could become oriented to live their future lives in peace and harmony with fellow citizens. Having promoted peace education through ten pedagogies as mother of education, Dr. Oyeyemi recommended that Unity could become the eleventh pedagogical way to teach proactive grassroots peacebuilding for ethnoreligious and political harmony in the world. He invoked, among others, the scriptural injunction which says “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” (Psalm 133:1).
In his keynote address, Professor Ademola Akanji, the Director of Institute of Peace and Strategy Studies, at the University of Ibadan (UI), stressed the need for everyone around the world, especially young people, to take personal responsibility within their sphere of influence toward promoting peace building. He noted that “there is an enormous power in an individual who is passionate, patriotic, and committed to a world of peace.” He, therefore, enjoined all and sundries, particularly the youths, to embrace, mobilize, and participate in peacebuilding in the society because that is the only sure way to guarantee development.
Comrade Michael Popoola, the Chief Operations Officer of Center for Democracy and Socioeconomic Rights, highlighted the various tenets of democratic values that makes up for a free, equitable and egalitarian society. These include transparency in governance, planning development, taking responsibility and accountability, having respect for the opinions of others, being honest, and demonstrating good moral values. According to Comrade Popoola, “peace is not gotten in a vacuum.” It requires some elements of good governance that will ensure sustainability and development in the society.
On his own part, Dr. Michael Shodipe, the Project Coordinator of Peace Initiative NEWTORK, (PIN), emphasized that peacebuilding requires activism in the grassroots communities where the organization is working and impacting. Dr. Shodipe therefore highlighted the various activities of the organization in promoting the values of peace in Kano and across the northern Nigeria, where PIN is impacting for peace, which include regularly organizing and hosting seminars, workshops and sporting events, the goal of which are to promote interaction between stakeholders from a variety of community backgrounds, in order to help strengthen a peaceful society in Nigeria.
Dr. Dada Olu Shonibare, the Director of Research & Head of Zone (SW), Nigeria Education Research and Development Council (NERDC), presented a formal paper on Peace Education, highlighting the
- The concept of peace
- Definition of peace education
- The role of education in peacebuilding
- The value of education in achieving peace
- The global tendency in the destabilization of peace
- Specific strategies at developing peace orientation,
- The impact if peace is sustainable development.