Cleen Foundation Trains 50 Women on Digital, Skill Mediation in Jos

From Tongnaan Bawa, Jos

Women mediators in Plateau state have resolved to be agents of change towards effective sustainability of peace in their various communities to  create avenues for developmental  strides.

The resolutions were reached during the 5 days training of trainers session on women mediation and digital skills organised by CLEEN Foundation and  UN Women, from 4th to 8th December, 2023 at Crispan Hotel,  Rayfield Jos.

The participants were educated by various speakers on different topics such as understanding conflicts/ violence and peace building, by  Mediation skills and Techniques, Mediation process and principles, Digital Skills in peace building, and Gender in conflict and peace building.

The 5 days  Training Workshop for Women Mediators in the State is to strengthen the capacity of women to enhance their skills of mediation, because women are seen as strong chains of agent as well as positive influencers.

This, the Director Cleen Foundation Gad Peter Shamaki, in an interview said the workshop is in partnership with the UN Women.

He disclosed that “if we are able to enhence their skills a little bit they will be able to add more values to their homes and to their immediate Communities to ensure stability and peace”

According to him, what we are doing is a mediation training for chains agent for women for critical stakeholders in 4 Local Government Areas of Plateau State, namely Mangu, Riyom, Jos North and Wase.

He explained that, “We are expecting that at every stage of conflict the participants should be able to intervene positively when they go back home as Mediators after the training.

“We expect them to have peace in their various Communities and most importantly, let them be recognized as stakeholders their Communities, for the purpose of peace building, we pulled out strong influencers and large number of women that will dominate the peace space in  Plateau.”

While advising women to realize that they are critical stakeholders in their Communities, he informed them to know that, if, violence breaks out, it affects them as it also affects the men times two, therefore, they should not fold their hands and say that they are not part of the community or they are waiting for somebody else to come and do any miracle for them.

The Director further stressed that, they are the people that need to solve every problem emanating, and  must do everything possible to solve the problem.

He Recalled that Plateau State in the last 20 years has gone through a lot of conflicts and had been on attacks, Shamaki, was quick to observed  that women have not had the opportunity to be at the center of  discussions concerning peace for good governance, simply because the society think that women do not have any value to add, but looks at  women as lability to the system.

Prime Time online News reports that participants enthusiastically devoted their time to learning, interacting and actively contributing during the various syndicate sessions. Facilitators were drawn from various Non governmental Organizations, Lantana Ahmed, CLEEN Foundation, Dr. Gabriel Akinremi and the senior program officer Benard Ekobay, and UN  representative, Dr. Olutoyin Falade.

The participants also drew up their program activities they intend to step down at their various local governments areas as women mediators.

They appreciated CLEEN Foundation for finding them to participate in the training and assured to step down all experiences acquired during the 5 days intensive women in mediation and digital skills training.

Some who came with high expectations said they were better educated on what conflict is, it’s dimensions, out comes and in resolving conflict,  one must get to the roots for better understanding for proper mediation.

For Rabi Muhammad  Hassan and Umaima Adam  from Mangu and Jos North Local Government areas,  they both expressed gratitude to the CLEEN Foundation  impacting them with knowledge on how to create WhatsApp and other social media platforms without much stress.

They said such digital skills acquired would enable them have their conflict mediation to create path to peace on-line. Outlining the advantages as easy way of meeting, its flexible, cost effective, stress free, cuts off anxiety of insecurity on the roads while traveling in this period of insecurity in the state.

They both agreed that they gained alot from the training workshop, though stressful but was worth it, and also assured of stepping down such knowledge to members of their communities.