Don Harps on War Cessation, Advocates Peace Education

Don Harps on War Cessation, Advocates Peace Education

 

A university don has called on the Nigerian government to include subjects that teaches peace in the curriculum of the country's educational system.

Dr. Babatunde Oni, an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Lagos, made this call while delivering a speech at the Faculty of Law, UNILAG, with the theme: "Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War - Implementation of the Sustainable Development of DPCW," organised by Heavenly Culture World Peace and Restoration of Light (HWPL), a non-governmental organisation. 

He said to do this, government must ensure that subjects on peace education are not only taught on the grassroot level, but must encompass all levels of education in the country. 

He reiterated that teachers must be trained, first of all, and then a total transformation and review be followed on the primary and secondary school curriculum to include peace education. 

"As Nigerians, we believe that we need peace. There's also need for us to maintain peace. So in order to start telling people about peace, we believe there should be an introduction of what we call 'Integration of Peace' into the Nigerian curriculum.

"We don't have peace education as a course of study except in masters degrees as being run by some universities (in Nigeria)

"So we are trying to bring in peace education so that from elementary and primary school up to secondary school, they (children) will imbibe the culture of peace," he said.

Also, Mr. Lee Man-Hee, the chairman of HWPL, said in a message from Korea, that there's no need to fight war as war doesn't bring positive changes.

Speaking at the seminar, Kingson Uwandu, the Legal Officer of Dataflex Nigeria Limited, stated that peace must coincide with justice. 

According to Kingson, "positive peace advocates just behaviours", and sees to it that the right thing is done and that no person is treated unfairly. 

Mr. Kingson also observed that there cannot be meaningful development where peace is lacking. 

He said war torn countries and communities experience high level of backwardness, citing Nigeria during the civil war and northern states ravaged by insurgency as excellent examples. 

Meanwhile, Mr. Olorunfemi Franklin, while delivering a paper titled, "The Golden Thread of peace From Now Into Generations Unborn," said creating a peace life, municipally and internationally, would engender peace in the long run. 

He said this can be done by making peace legislations locally and internationally so that including peace education would help pass the barton to coming generations.