From Maurice Okafor, Enugu.
The Center for Media and Peace Initiatives, CMPI, an international organisation based in New York, has taken it’s advocacy for Peace Journalism to Nigeria.
The concept behind Peace Journalism is to ginger and sensitise practising journalists and media houses develop a culture of writing and developing prograwmes that endears and promotes peace in the midst of a crisis/violence prone environment.
The President, Center for Media and Peace Initiatives(CMPI), Dr Uchenna Ekwo, gave this hint during a round table discussion with Senior Journalists, held at the conference room. School of Communication Arts, Institute of Management and Technology. IMT. Enugu.
Dr Ekwo emphasised the imperatives of Peace in nation building cannot be over emphasised and journalists can equally champion the cause of peace through their reportage and programmes relatively.
The former rector, United Nations university of Peace, Costa Rica, Prof.Tapio Varis, in his remarks(zoom) advised Nigerian journalists to imbibe the culture of spear heading dialogue and arbitration as possible ways of promoting peace by settling conflicts.
In his own remarks, the deputy rector IMT. Dr Ejim Emeka. commended the advocacy on Peace Journalism as timely. promising that IMT will do the needful to get involved as an institution that has continued to produce journalists of great repute
The participants who were selected from different print and electronic media outfits in the state. as well as Mass communication experts/lecturers suggested of including ‘Peace Journalism Concept’ in the school curriculum for students of journalism, whereas the practitioners and managers of media outfits should be engaged with training and re traininp that will drive or actualise the trend.
Dr Ekwo held similar advocacy on Peace Journalism for selected journalists in Abuja. earlier in the week before coming to Enugu.
