By Doyin Ojosipe
The African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), on Tuesday, February 23, 2021, wrapped up its MIL Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue with a one-day workshop where papers which focused on Media and Information Literacy, ethno-religious conflicts and the role of religious leaders among others, were presented.
The two-year project which was supported by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) was aimed at addressing incessant social unrest which had been linked to religion and ethnicity. It was also aimed at restoring trust, tolerance and peaceful co-existence among Nigerians.
In a welcome address, Dr Chido Onumah, Coordinator of AFRICMIL who was represented by Godwin Onyeacholem, Senior Program Officer, AFRICMIL, said the project which started in 2020 was meant to empower religious and cultural leaders with the knowledge of Media and Information Literacy to enable them access and critically analyse information and media messages.
This, he said, will in turn help them to navigate the media to teach and reach their followers with the right messages, and thus avert unnecessary misunderstandings and religious conflicts.
“It is important that religious leaders, who are known to shape opinions and attitudes in their communities, are able to critically analyse information and news media content, understand risks and opportunities associated with the internet, and become responsible and informed consumers and transmitters of information and opinion,” he said.
Onumah stated that AFRICMIL had been working for many years with its partners in Nigeria and outside to create awareness about the importance of MIL and to promote its relevance as a catalyst for peaceful communication and a culture of dialogue, particularly on social networks.
Commending AFRICMIL for the initiative, Dr Garba Abari, the Director General of National Orientation Agency (NOA), said the training on MIL Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue was timely as relationship among youths of diverse religions and cultures continued to suffer due to the teachings of some religious leaders and the craftiness of politicians.
His words, “In recent times, we have seen situations where politicians desperate for power have resorted to the use of ethnic sentiments as tools for opposition and destabilization.”
“Religious bigots have elevated their pulpits for the ‘sermonisation’ of ethnic hate rather than love and unity while ethnic warlords are deploying hate speech to pursue their selfish agendas.”
“Unfortunately, the youths who ought to deploy their creative energies for productive ventures and national development have become the prime bearers and promoters of inter-ethnic disharmony driven by hate speech and fake news.”
He appealed to Nigerians, especially the elites, to shun every form of parochialism and promote issues of national interest, peace, unity and development.
“I urge the media, civil society, state and non-state actors and indeed all stakeholders in the Nigerian project to work collectively to defeat the menace of inter-ethnic intolerance and the merchants of violence and war who are promoting ethnic suspicions”, he added.
In his presentation on “The Rising Case of Inter Ethnic Intolerance: The Role of Religious Leaders in Building Trust and Community Resilience,” Mr David Akoji, Special Assistant to the DG, NOA, said the fact that religion is being used most of the time to justify injustice, oppression and tyranny by advocating for forgiveness, patience and tolerance without addressing the key reasons of the unrest, was the reason for increased inter religious clashes and lack of social cohesion among youths.
He noted that genuine inter-ethnic tolerance is built by openness, curiosity and communication across ethnic groups, creation for knowledge and understanding.
“Religious education is one of the best ways to prevent intolerance by revealing similarities between people and spreading a culture of healthy respect for differences,” he said.
Presenting on “The Role of Religious Leaders in Peace Building”, Dr Davidson Aminu, Director Documentation, Translation and Publication, NOA, said, there is need for many CSOs as possible to tap into the peace building initiative by helping to sensitize and organize workshops for religious leaders on their role in the society as promoters of peaceful coexistence.
He said although, some of the religious leaders have worked to maintain peace, the fundamentalists continue to cause division by what they preach.
Similarly, speaking on “The Impact of Political Violence and The Role of Religious Leaders in Averting Crisis,” Onyeacholem said, as persons whose opinions matter, religious leaders have a major role to play in ensuring peace, harmony and co-existence of all groups in Nigeria.
According to him, leaders in this category need to adhere to speaking the truth, while considering ethical and human rights principles.
He said, “Religious leaders and actors should promote the fundamental value of accepting others as they are, whatever their beliefs, without insisting that others should change their beliefs.”
Reacting to a presentation on “How Religious Leaders can use MIL to Avert Religious Crisis” by Adedoyin Ojosipe, Senior Programme Officer, AFRICMIL, one of the participants, Imam Sani Isah, said that the problem of Inter-religious and Intercultural Dialogue is often compounded by the misrepresentation or misinterpretation of holy books by religious leaders.
He pointed out that some clerics interpret some chapters of the holy books in such a way that indicates superiority over others which makes followers of a particular religion look down on others and treat them as such.
He said it was important that religious leaders understand such verses as to how and who they relate to before using them to preach superiority and division.
In the same vein, Hajiya Hauwa Isa, Chairperson of the women wing of Jamaatul Nasril Islam (JNI), Benue State, noted that misrepresentation and or misinterpretation of religious messages had caused so much harm that it was difficult to correct followers when they refer to others as unbelievers who must either follow their way or suffer the consequences.
On his part, Reverend John Hayab, Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna tate Schapter said there is so much hypocrisy and politicization of religion that it is increasing difficult to know the truth about what is happening.
He urged Nigerians, especially religious leaders, to be wary of politicians because of their penchant for using clerics to instigate violence in society.
A 61-page training manual developed by AFRICMIL was reviewed and presented to participants by Nkechi Ugwu, Senior Programme Officer, AFRICMIL, and manager of the project.
