Women Uniting For Peace In Nigeria Holds Peace March In Abuja On 1st May 2014

By Women Environmental Programme
1.0 Introduction
The mirage of violent conflicts in Nigeria have led to the loss of thousands of lives, the destruction of properties worth billions of naira and the displacement of thousands of people.
From 2009 to date, almost every state in the north central and northern Nigeria has had its fair share of violent conflict either from political crisis, religious, inter-tribal or communal crisis and recently from Boko Haram Insurgents. Unfortunately, women and children are the ones mostly affected by these crisis. Sadly, the wave of violent conflicts in northern Nigeria is increasing and becoming more sophisticated on a daily basis. The recent crisis in Benue, Kaduna, Katsina, Plateau etc have claimed the lives of innocent women and children and destroyed properties worth billions of naira. These attacks have spread to other northern States of Zamfara, Taraba, Borno, Yobe, etc.
With all the public outcry and the efforts by the government to curb this menace, the perpetrators of these heinous acts of conflict continue their devilish acts successfully.
Pained by the incessant killings of women, children and youths and the killing of their husbands which have made them widows and orphans, a coalition of women have come together under the auspices of WOMEN UNITING FOR PEACE to join their voices to say NO! to the incessant killings in the North, Middl belt and Nigeria as a whole so as to tell the perpetrators and sponsors of these conflicts that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
2.0 Women Uniting for Peace
Women Uniting for Peace is a non-violent, non-religious and non-ethnic group of northern and middle belt women affected directly or indirectly by the incessant conflicts in northern Nigerian who have come together to raise their voices against the incessant killings in northern Nigeria. The group comprise of Civil Society Organizations, Faith Based Organizations and individuals from different backgrounds in Nigeria and is coordinated by Women Environmental Programme (WEP), a Non-Governmental Organization based in Abuja. The group has a goal of putting to an end incessant violent conflicts in northern and middle belt Nigeria through non-violent programs, peace talks, seminars with the youths and meetings with the elders and political leaders in the country to sign peace accords with the women.

3.0 Goal of the Women Uniting for Peace
The goal of Women Uniting for Peace is to see that lasting peace returns to Middle belt, northern region and Nigeria in particular.

4.0 Objectives
· To advocate for peaceful coexistence in the country
· To facilitate peace initiatives that promote peace and unity in Nigeria
· To provide psychological and material support to victims of conflict for the achievement of the 3R processes(Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Reintegration)
· To stimulate positive actions from political, traditional and religious leaders that promote peace in the country
· To sensitize and educate the general public on conflict prevention and transformation
· To establish a register on peace accord for well-meaning Nigerians
5.0 Activities
· Advocacies
· Non-violent protests
· Seminars and workshops
· Peace March
· Press conferences
6.0 Strategies
· Consensus building
· Group formation
· Coalition building
· Provision of relief materials
7.0 Proposed Peace March in Abuja
Women Uniting for Peace has proposed a Peace March in Abuja on Thursday, 1st May 2014 which will commence by 9am with a press conference and testimonies of victims from the conflict States such as Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, etc. This peace march is significant for the following reasons:
· To commemorate in a special way the women and the children and all those who have lost their lives to incessant crisis in Nigeria.
· To share in the plights of victims of violent conflicts in Nigeria at large.
· To register the grievance of the northern women on the state of insecurity in the region.

To convey to the leaders of our country and the whole world that it is time to act differently and more than usual to put a stop to the lingering crisis in the country.
· This peace march is estimated to have about 500 women from different states across northern Nigeria including FCT and will last for only one day.
8.0 Funding
The following are the items needed for the event. We call for people to support by picking an item or items from the list below:
1. Accommodation and transportation of women and children who are victims of the conflict for the Peace March
2. Water, soft drinks
3. Printing of banner, handbills, placards
4. Appeal to media houses for support
5. Appeal to security agents for support
6. Public Address System

CONTACT US
Women Environmental Programme
Block E, Flat 2, Anambra Court
Gaduwa Housing Estate, after Apo Legislative Quarters
P.O.Box 10176, Garki,
FCT,Abuja
Nigeria
URL: www.wepnigeria.net
E-mail: info@wepnigeria.net
Tel:- +234 9 2910878