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Relief International Africa (RIA), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has called on its ambassadors in Akwa Ibom to use ADR as a tool to resolve disputes and establish peace in their respective areas of operation.
Because of how lengthy and difficult the legal procedure is in Nigeria, it warned people against using traditional courts to resolve their problems.
These were among the decisions made after a day of training for Human Rights Defenders and Relief Ambassadors in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State.
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A communique was sent to journalists on Saturday by the Royal Institute of International Affairs (RIA), which was endorsed by Green Isaac, the organization’s executive director. In the communique, the RIA urged the ambassadors to investigate the causes of conflicts and help bring about peace, and it warned them against displaying their emotions and being biassed in their interventions.
“We would rather use a process for Alternative Dispute Resolution. Because of how lengthy the legal procedure is in Nigeria, we prefer this versus going to court. You don’t even have to use traditional legal channels anymore; all you need is to understand the bigger picture, listen to the community’s tales, and delve deeper; above all, you should only serve to assist, not impose.
To reach a non-binding conclusion, ambassadors should follow our lead in focus groups: get the parties together, let them speak their minds, and then make a recommendation. Make an effort to use various community forums to engage in nonviolent advocacy.
Also urged in the communiqué was the use of EWER systems—early warning and early response—to stem the tide of violent conflicts and prevent them from spiralling out of control.
A life of violence is not acceptable, and ambassadors should embrace discourse instead. In order to successfully settle conflicts and bring people and groups together, ambassadors should be open to using the problem tree method of conflict analysis.
In their pursuit of peace, peace ambassadors should involve a diverse group of people, including youth, women, and local organisations. The statement went on to say that ambassadors should be experts in mediating both before and after conflicts.