USAID trains journalists on conflict sensitive communication in Gombe
The United States Agency International Development under the State2State project has organised conflict sensitive communication training for government spokespersons and journalists in Gombe State.
Gombe is one of the six states where USAID is implementing a five-year project in Health, Education, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), to strengthen accountability, transparency and effectiveness in government structures.
Speaking at the end of the two-day training on Thursday, the State Team Lead Mohammed Bello, explained that participants where carefully selected owing to their impact in entrenching peaceful co-existence in through their communication.
He said contents were capable of provoking or preventing conflict within the state, adding that caution is required.
Bello said, “You are expected to communicate effectively by knowing what to say and how to say it at the right time. The training is expected to equip you with the basic knowledge on how to profile conflict and how to communicate during crisis without increasing the level.”
On his part, Communications Specialist Obinna Chukwuezie while delivering a lecture on Conflict analysis for communicators and journalists said it would deepen the understanding of reporters and information officers on how to analyse conflict.
According to him, there was need to do conflict profiling, which provides the history of the conflict as well as the people that are affected, who is targeted, stressing that by so doing conflicts would be put into proper contexts towards arriving at solutions.
Chukwuezie said, “Analyse conflicts with a view to helping to mitigate them. If we are aware of the risks and dangers that information disorders can have in our context, we have great opportunity to avoid or mitigate them.”
The Communications Specialist added, “Information disorders are generator and accelerator of violent conflict. Wars are fueled by them, they create tension and they are threat to peace.”
Also speaking, Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Saidu Malala lauded the Agency for factoring information officers, journalists and government spokespersons for the training,adding that there was no better time time than now for such.
Malala promised that the training would spore practitioners in Gombe to communicate with the intention of not only reaching out but one hinged on entrenching peaceful co-existence.
