AnniversaryProfile of the ICIPH ICIPH @ One CONTENTS Table of Contents . i Information Page . ii Nurturing Peace in Nigeria . iii Our Supporters . iv Our Board . 1 Our Team . 2 Preamble . 3 About us . 5 Our Vision and Mission . 7 Our Objectives and Philosophy . 8 Our Core Values and Corporate Culture . 9 Our Strategies . 10 Our Target Population and Stakeholders . 11 We Stand for the Truth . 12 Activities and Achievements . 13 Our Visit to IDP Camps in North-East . 16 Youth Training Program . 20 Intervention Program in the North-East (Borno & Yobe State) . 23 High Profile Visitors Received by the ICIPH . 27 Outreach Activities . 31 Recruitment and Training of ICIPH Peace Ambassadors, Kaduna 32 List of Ambassadors Trained in Plateau State . 33 -i- ICIPH No. 4 Kinkino Road, Off Alkali Road, Kaduna, Nigeria. INFORMATION SERVICE Int’l Center for Interfaith Peace and Harmony (ICIPH) TEL: 234 907 616 0078 234 905 675 7483 WEBSITE: www.iciph.org ENQUIRY: [email protected] EMAIL: [email protected] TWITTER: @iciphkaduna FACEBOOK: /iciphkaduna -ii- ...Nurturing the seed of PEACE in NIGERIA One year of Peace Building in Nigeria -iii- OUR SUPPORTERS Olav Fykse Tveit General Secretary, World Council of Church (WCC) HRH Prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad Bin Talal of Jordan (RABIIT) -iv- OUR BOARD His Eminence, His Eminence, Alh. Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar Dr. Emmanuel Josiah Udofia CFR, mni, Sultan of Sokoto. Primate, African Church Co-Chairman ICIPH Co-Chairman ICIPH Rev. Dr. Yusuf Ibrahim Wushishi Sheikh Dr. Khalid A. Aliyu, General Secretary, CCN General Secretary, JNI Co-Secretary ICIPH Co-Secretary ICIPH Prof. DOS Noibi Cardinal John Onaiyekan Member Representing JNI Archbishop of Abuja, Member Representing CCN Elder Uzuaka Williams Dr. Atiku Balarabe Zawiya Gusau Member Representing CCN Member Representing JNI Hajiya Aisha Ahmed Hassan Rt. Rev. Timothy Yahaya Member Representing JNI Member Representing CCN -1- OUR TEAM CO-DIRECTORS: Venerable Joshua Mallam Muhammad Bashir Mai [Programs] [Strategy and Partnership] PROJECT OFFICERS: Zeenatu Umar Yazid Mrs. Ruth Duniya [Advocacy & Communication] [Administration & Finance] OFFICERS: George Ibrahim Abdulazeez A. Biodun [Front Desk] [ICT] -2- PREAMBLE nterfaith activities of the ICIPH are m i n i m i z i n g c o n f l i c t s u s u a l l y focused on inter-religious associated with ignorance or Ie n l i g h t e n m e n t a n d m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f i s s u e s understanding where the Followers of connected with one another's the two dominant faiths (Christianity religion. and Islam) meet to discuss and ask Achieving peace in Nigeria is the questions and arrive at mutual p r i m a r y g o a l o f t h e I C I P H . understanding about each other's Consequently, its interfaith activities beliefs and practices. This is done to are conducted with utmost sincerity. dispel stereotyping, mitigate The Center does not in any way violence, create understanding and attempt to brush aside differences or enable co-operation and peaceful push them under the carpet; instead co-existence despite religious it rigorously pursues them with differences. responsibility and understanding. Inspite of the differently held views This is why from time to time religious about the concept of Interfaith and scholars from the two dominant faiths its practice in Nigeria, in the ICIPH, Christianity and Islam are invited to Interfaith activity is carried out to explain doctrines of the two religions bring about understanding of and the position of religious texts religious teachings among followers concerning peaceful co-existence in of the two major faiths (Islam and multi religious communities. Christianity). This provides the best means of reducing tension and -3- These platforms are not created as During these activities the real places for arguments or attacking sources of tension such as cultural, each other's faith, but facilitated to social, economic and political uphold honesty which is critical to the d i f f e r e n c e s a r e h i g h l i g h t e d , success of any peace program. discussed and dealt with. -4- ABOUT US he idea behind establishment of violence between Christians and a specialized Interfaith Center in Muslims was experienced. TNigeria to address inter-religious conflicts was borne out of a fact- A major outcome of the fact-finding finding mission undertaken in May mission was the proposal to establish 2012 by an international delegation a neutral information-collection and of Muslim and Christian leaders led by archive center, ideally both virtually the World Council of Churches and on the ground in Nigeria, which (WCC) and the Royal Jordanian Aal will facilitate the sharing of stories, Al-Bayt Institute of Islamic Thought allow the voices of those who feel [RABIIT]. themselves voiceless to be heard and recorded and to assist with According to the “Fact-finding collecting of accurate data about Report”, the delegation's visit was incidents of violence, online and proposed in reaction to the through hotlines. In a nutshell, the numerous incidents of fierce inter- aim of establishing the new Center c o m m u n a l s t r i f e s w h i c h will be to generate accurate, tremendously affected the lives of impartial and indelible record of Nigerians during the period 2000 to injustices, violence and atrocities 2012, especially knowing that since which can serve not only as deterrent the Bosnian war of 1993 to 1995- but also as an honest starting point for Nigeria is the only country in the world future solutions. where most severe inter-communal -5- To come up with such an interfaith that there was still need for a specific organization, the World Council of Center, owned, run and managed Churches (WCC) and the Royal by a leading Muslim Organization Jordanian Aal Al-Bayt Institute of (JNI) and a Leading Christian Islamic Thought [RABIIT] in close Organization (CCN), devoid of collaboration with their Nigerian political interference, working in partners; Christian Council of Nigeria close partnership with local and (CCN) and Jama'atu Nasril Islam international organizations for (JNI), commissioned Consultants to Nigeria. assess viability of establishing the Center, in particular the potential I n l i n e w i t h t h e m a n y buy-in of religious leaders from both r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s o f t h e faiths and to advice on its setting up. Consultants, RABIIT and WCC, in partnership with JNI and CCN After very wide consultations, an decided to establish such an important finding of the Consultants Interfaith Organization in Nigeria. This was that almost 95% of their fundamental decision led to the respondents favored creation of an formation of the International Center interfaith center, while the remaining for Interfaith, Peace and Harmony 5% questioned the need for another (ICIPH), situated at No. 4, Kinkino initiative when there are many Road, Off Alkali Road, Kaduna, Interfaith Organizations already on Nigeria. Its office was commissioned ground in the country. Despite the on 19 August 2016 and since then; the abundance of indigenous as well as ICIPH has been working towards foreign interfaith initiatives across achieving the objectives it was set up Nigeria, findings in the field revealed to achieve. -6- Our Vision Nigeria becomes a model of interreligious peace and harmony, where people embrace religious diversity as strength and work together with mutual understanding, kindness, compassion and respect for the sanctity of life and human dignity, towards the advancement of peace, justice and sustainable development. Our Mission To serve as a platform for the promotion of reconciliation, healing and peaceful coexistence among Nigerians through: Fostering meaningful interreligious partnership for harmony; Education and sensitization on peaceful co-existence; and Sharing of information on interfaith issues, stories of victims of conflicts and examples of good interfaith relations and initiatives. -7- OUR OBJECTIVES To establish, nurture and sustain an interreligious monitoring center in Nigeria. To record with precision, incidents of conflicts and violence between Muslims and Christians without bias. To ensure that voices of victims of violence are heard and to provide reference for initiatives aimed at reconciliation of parties to the violence. To provide reference for responses on particular needs of women and children in conflict situations. To facilitate a more receptive environment for better tolerance and relations between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. To properly document and publicize examples of good practice in interreligious cooperation from existing religious groups and organizations in Nigeria. To create neutral information collection and archive center for gathering and sharing of accurate information with a view to minimizing tension or conflict between the followers of Islam and Christianity in Nigeria. To engage the International Community to show sufficient interest and concern on religious conflicts between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. OUR PHILOSOPHY Believe in the sanctity of human lives. Believe only truth, fairness, justice and equity would guaranty peace. Believe essence of religion itself is the promotion of peace. Believe in the humanity of all human beings. -8- OUR CORE VALUES Honesty in our dealings. Truthfulness in our actions. Integrity in all corporate activities. Respect for all divine religions. Justice to entire humanity. OUR CORPORATE CULTURE Interfaith work: There would be equal representation in participation and decision making throughout the organization. Religious sensitivity: Inclusiveness(no single religious group in the ICIPH would dominate nor trample on the sensibility of the others). Use of language: No offensive or abusive language would be employed and members would be respectful of one another at all times.