…Ungwan Romi Hosts Tudun Wada Community in Dialogue for Peace
In a landmark effort to bridge religious divides, the Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC) Kaduna, in collaboration with the Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation for Peace (COFP), organized an interfaith exchange visit between the Christian-dominant Ungwan Romi community and the Muslim-dominant Tudun Wada community. The event, convened by Malam Hayatu Ashafa, was held at Levida Classic Event and Lodge, Ungwan Romi, on Friday, February 7, 2025.
The opening session began with prayers from both faiths and introductions. Malam Hayatu Ashafa, Co-Director of IMC, welcomed participants and emphasized the importance of initiatives that break down religious stereotypes and foster peace. He acknowledged the painful history of religious conflicts in Kaduna and expressed hope that sustained dialogue would rebuild trust and promote unity.
A Community-Based Approach to Peacebuilding
Malam Hayatu highlighted that the exchange visit is part of his fellowship project under the 2024/2025 Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation for Peace (COFP) Fellowship Program. The initiative, titled “Interfaith Dialogue Across Borders and Community Development through Empowerment,” aims to promote interfaith collaboration and empower vulnerable community members.
The project’s key objectives include:
- Promoting Interfaith Understanding: Facilitating dialogue and scriptural reasoning to foster empathy and mutual respect.
- Youth Capacity Building: Training participants in conflict early warning and response mechanisms.
- Strengthening Community Engagement: Encouraging religious and traditional leaders to advocate for peaceful coexistence.
- Youth Empowerment: Providing skills acquisition programs to reduce vulnerability to conflict.
- Institutionalizing Peacebuilding: Promoting peace messages through religious platforms.
Scriptural Reasoning: A Dialogue Through Sacred Texts
The highlight of the event was a scriptural reasoning session on the theme of Hospitality, facilitated by Malam Hayatu Ashafa. Participants engaged with teachings from both the Bible and the Quran, emphasizing shared values of generosity and kindness.
- Christian Perspective: Reverend John Akor read from Luke 24:28-35, where Jesus, through an act of hospitality, revealed himself to his disciples. He urged participants to embrace hospitality as a virtue that fosters peace and unity.
- Islamic Perspective: Imam Hussain reflected on Quran 59:9, highlighting the generosity of the Ansar towards the Muhajirun. He emphasized the Islamic principle of altruism (Ithar) and the importance of serving others selflessly.
Participants appreciated the dialogue, noting that exploring each other’s scriptures fostered empathy, broke stereotypes, and strengthened interfaith understanding.
Community Voices: Problems and Solutions
During the interactive session, participants from Ungwan Romi and Tudun Wada identified issues plaguing their communities and proposed solutions:
Ungwan Romi (Christian Community) Identified Issues:
- Political divisions and religious intolerance
- Lack of trust due to past crises
- Fear of the other religion
Proposed Solutions:
- Promoting love, tolerance, and interfaith marriages
- Establishing literacy programs on peaceful coexistence
- Prosecuting perpetrators of hate speech
- Organizing interfaith sports events to engage youth
Tudun Wada (Muslim Community) Identified Issues:
- Self-serving religious leaders and poor parenting
- Poverty and misinterpretation of religious teachings
- Lack of political will for peace initiatives
Proposed Solutions:
- Promoting true religious teachings and mutual respect
- Providing education and skills acquisition for youth
- Engaging religious leaders to preach peace
- Government-led trust-building initiatives for both communities
Lecture on Conflict Early Warning and Response
Reverend John Akor facilitated a session on Conflict Transformation and Early Warning Response Mechanisms (EWER). He highlighted the importance of recognizing early warning signs of conflict, such as sudden market closures and unusual gatherings, and urged communities to respond promptly to prevent escalation.
Participants Share Transformative Experiences
Participants shared personal reflections on how the exchange visit impacted their perspectives:
- Abubakar Sadiq (Hausa Muslim Youth): Shared how his initial fears of visiting a Christian community faded, and he now sees the value of interfaith collaboration.
- Nimkur Dashe (Youth Leader, Ungwan Romi): Spoke about overcoming resistance from some youths, who were hesitant due to past conflicts, through persistent dialogue and education.
- Malam Mustapha (Religious Leader, Tudun Wada): Called for more interfaith workshops, especially for youth and women, to sustain the momentum for peacebuilding.
Commitment to Continued Peace Efforts
The event concluded with closing remarks from Malam Hayatu Ashafa, who commended participants for their openness and commitment to interfaith dialogue. He urged them to apply the lessons learned within their communities and become ambassadors of peace.
The interfaith exchange visit proved to be a resounding success, offering a platform for honest dialogue, shared learning, and actionable solutions to address religious divides. Participants left with a renewed sense of purpose, pledging to sustain interfaith engagements and foster peaceful coexistence.
