Abuja hosts International Day of Peace with bold calls for action

Abuja played host on Monday to a landmark commemoration of the 2025 International Day of Peace, as activists, civil society leaders, and women changemakers gathered under the theme “Act Now for a Peaceful World.”

The event, convened by the Engage Empower Educate Initiative (EEEI), urged urgent action against violence, hate, and inequality across Africa.

Delivering the keynote address, Belema Meshack-Hart, Executive Director of EEEI, warned that peace could not be taken for granted. He stressed the need for immediate steps to promote harmony in communities, schools, and political systems.

“We live in a time where peace is under threat, but we must act now—individually and collectively—to change the narrative,” he said.

Drawing parallels with the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, Meshack-Hart emphasised the consequences of silence and intolerance. He praised Rwanda’s progress in reconciliation and memorialisation, pointing to the Kigali Genocide Memorial as a global example of truth-telling and education.

“Peace is not accidental—it is intentional. It begins with remembering, teaching, and choosing a different path,” he added.

One of the highlights of the event was the launch of the EEEI Peace Manual, a comprehensive toolkit offering practical strategies for dialogue, conflict resolution, and peaceful coexistence in schools, communities, and leadership spaces.

Meshack-Hart also unveiled the Women Peace Ambassadors Initiative, a bold programme that aims to train 10 million women peace ambassadors across Africa within the next decade. He described women as both the first victims of conflict and the strongest voices for peace, insisting their leadership must be central to reconciliation and nation-building.

“Peace is choosing truth over lies, community over division, and action over silence,” he said, urging Africans to reject tribalism, resist disinformation, and embrace diversity.

At a high-level summit on security and governance held alongside the event, Dr David Okoror, Chief Security and Governance Strategist at the International Centre for Security and Governance Studies, called on women to step into leadership roles and drive sustainable change.

“Because of their numbers, their reach, and their capacity to influence, women have the power to prevent conflict and build peace—not just in their communities, but across the region and globally,” he said.

The summit concluded with a rallying message for African women: “Act now. You can do it. You are women—and you can do it better.”

The Abuja commemoration of the International Day of Peace ended with a resounding call for grassroots empowerment, greater female participation in governance, and sustained collaboration to build a peaceful continent.