Engage Empower Educate Initiative Marks International Day of Peace 2025
….. Launches Women Peace Ambassadors Programme
The Engage Empower Educate Initiative (EEEI) on Sunday commemorated the International Day of Peace 2025 with a call for collective action to build a more peaceful world.
The event, themed “Act Now for a Peaceful World”, brought together civil society groups, peace and security agencies, ambassadors of peace, and advocates of nonviolence in Abuja.
In his keynote address, Executive Director of the initiative, Mr. Kalada, said the world was living through turbulent times where violence, hate, and inequality continue to undermine humanity. He stressed that peace remains possible if people commit to deliberate action.
Citing the 1994 Rwandan genocide as a lesson of history, Kalada warned against intolerance, hate speech, and silence in the face of injustice. He noted that Rwanda’s post-genocide reconciliation efforts—such as the Kigali Genocide Memorial—offered hope that societies could learn from the past by prioritizing truth, education, and unity.
At the event, the EEEI officially launched its Peace Manual, a resource designed to help communities, schools, and leaders take practical steps in fostering harmony, rejecting violence, and promoting dialogue.
The organisation also unveiled the Women Peace Ambassadors Initiative, which aims to raise 10 million women peace ambassadors across Africa over the next decade. Kalada explained that empowering women was both strategic and necessary, as women often suffer most during conflicts but also serve as critical agents of reconciliation and peacebuilding.
“Peace is not passive. It is the active choice to reject hate speech, challenge tribalism, celebrate diversity, and support institutions that stand for justice and human dignity,” Kalada said, urging Nigerians and Africans to embrace dialogue over division and reconciliation over resentment.
Also speaking, Dr. David Okoror, Chief Security and Governance Strategist at the International for Security and Governance Studies, underscored the importance of women’s active engagement in all aspects of national life. He said women remain a vital tool for promoting peace within homes, families, and society at large.
Kalada further outlined practical ways individuals could advance peace, including educating themselves about peace, rejecting violence, reporting bullying and harassment, protesting discrimination, and supporting advocates of justice.
He called on Nigerians to use the International Day of Peace not only as a commemoration but as the start of a movement that empowers women, strengthens communities, and secures a peaceful Africa for future generations.
