Non-kinetic approach and putting women in the lead in conflict resolution have been said to be the best way to resolving the killings an other level of insecurity in the country, as well as in Plateau State.
This was made known on Monday in Jos the Plateau State capital at the commemoration of the 2025 International Day of Peace by the state’s Ministry of Women Affairs in collaboration with Dialogue, Reconciliation and Peace (DREP) Centre.
The Summit which convene over 150 participants from Plateau North senatorial zone, including women and youth leaders from conflict-affected communities in the areas, also has representatives from civil society, faith-based institutions, community-based organizations, traditional rulers, government stakeholders security actors and policymakers.
In is remarks, the Director of DREP Centre, Rev Fr. Blaise Agwom, said women are mostly affected dieing conflict everywhere, and Plateau inclusive, and so it has become imperative to give them a platform where they can voice out and proffer solution to the situation.
According to him, women have the resilience and what it takes to face the challenges emanating from conflict, and so they can stimulate peace in their localities where the conflicts are taking place, and to advance the cause of peace by speaking to themselves and reaching out to others.
Rev Fr. Agwom said that this is not the time to capitalize on the stereotypes pinning women down as well as other cultural and social barrier, saying that this is the time for them to come out and take front stage in terms of peace initiative, peace building and peace restoration.
Meanwhile he stressed that applying kinetic approach to resolving conflict and insecurity will not solve the problem because it has been tried all along and it has not yielded any meaningful result.
Non-kinetic approach, according to him, is a better option to resolve in the problem, which includes, dialogue and engagement with community leaders, women leaders, traditional religious leaders, youth leaders, warring communities and more.
He said such approach will nip the problem in the bud, as it will unravel the the immediate and the remote cause of the problem, upon which we bring about a realistic and long lasting solution.
On his part, a guest speaker at the event, Dr Prince Charles Dickson, said the truth of the matter is that we need to start to explore and start to believe that women must take center stage when it comes to peace building.
“Before now, when the issues of peace and peaceful coexistence dialogue arises, we only have the men engaged in it; it was a purely masculine agenda.
“Even look at the security architecture like the military, the police an other security outfits as well as paramilitary, you see that the makeup is mostly that of men and men dominated. It also applies to holding principal positions like the head of any of the armed forces other security agencies.
“Conflict has its limit as its perpetrators often have conflict fatigue that will force them to reduce or even stop their act of violence. And when women are more involved in the conflict resolution mechanisms, it expedite the process of settlement, since they deeply understand the intrigues of the conflict,” he said.
Dickson stressed that all concerned stakeholders on security issues have to act now and end this recurring chain of violence which has killed thousands, led to destruction of properties and displaced many, pointing out that there is no time like now to take decisive action.
According to him, a decisive action now will be more result oriented beyond the usual and constant rhetorics which has not yielded the needed result till date.