The Global Peace Foundation Nigeria has urged citizens to seek alternative ways of resolving issues instead of resorting to litigation and violence.
The Country Director, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, gave the charge on Wednesday during a one-day workshop on Alternative Dispute Resolution, organized by the Foundation in collaboration with S.H Makeri Consult, for traditional, religious, and community leaders in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
He lamented that rather than coming to the negotiation table to resolve their differences, some family members at times go to extremes by taking cases to court, or resort to violence motivated by ego and the desire to assert dominance.
The Country Director stated that alternative dispute resolution goes a long way in reducing hatred among people, especially relatives, by fostering reconciliation and encouraging compromise for peaceful coexistence and harmonious relationships.
The Chief Executive Officer of S.H Makeri Consult, Justice Stephen Haruna Makeri, a retired President of the Customary Court of Appeal, in his remarks, urged participants to take the training seriously so they could pass the knowledge to others for greater effectiveness.
He also announced plans to expand the training to other communities to reduce the volume of cases brought to court and the violence that people see in their communities.
Earlier, the Northern Coordinator of Global Peace Foundation Nigeria, Sheikh Halliru Maraya, explained that the selection of participants was intentional, as they serve as the first point of contact whenever disputes arise in the community.
In her presentation on Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanisms, the Director General of Multi-Door Court House Kaduna State, Barr. Dorcas Levy Daniel highlighted that mediation is an effective tool for resolving a wide range of disputes, including commercial and criminal issues.
In a separate presentation on the role of Sulhu in contemporary dispute resolution, Usman Idris, Esq., noted that this approach is essential in both Islamic and Christian faiths, as it promotes social cohesion, encourages forgiveness and mercy, and enables peaceful conflict resolution.
Participants who spoke at the event commended the organizers for the training, which they said had enhanced their understanding of how to handle cases within their communities without overstepping their boundaries.
The Chairman of Kachia Local Government Area, Manzo Maigari, represented by his Vice, pledged to partner with the organizations to promote peaceful and harmonious relations in the area.
Embrace peaceful conflict resolution for harmonious relationships – GPFN urges Nigerians