CONTENTS:
The 4th annual conference of the Forum for Cities in Transition took place in Kaduna, Nigeria on the 4th-8th of November 2013, hosted by the Kaduna State Government under the stewardship of H.E. Governor, Mallam Mukhtar Yero who welcomed delegates in the opening ceremony November 4th in Murtala Muhammed Square and attended several conference sessions. Thirteen non-African cities: Baghdad, Belfast, Derry~Londonderry, Haifa, Jerusalem, Kirkuk, Mitrovica, Mitte, Mostar, Ramallah, Sarajevo, Srebrenica, and Tripoli participated; Seven Nigerian cities which experience the highest level of Muslim-Christian violence attended: Maiduguri, Borno State; Jos, Plateau State; Bauchi, Bauchi State; Kano, Kano State; Ibadan, Oyo State; Warri, Delta State; and representatives from four African countries also attended as observers: Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Ghana.
Participants spent twelve hour days in plenaries and workshops covering topics ranging from the control of light arms and weapons in divided societies, Youth-Social Media and Peacemaking, Reviving the Economy and attracting tourism, reducing religious radicalism, the role of women, and reconciliation across religious and socio-political divide among others. On Friday the 8th November FCT participant cities announced their collective and individual projects that will serve to reduce violence, promote peace and reconciliation, encourage civic participation of all sectors of society and promote economic development and regeneration.
SPEECHES:
NEWS COVERAGE:
DAY 1: MONDAY, 4 NOVEMBER 2013
9.00-1.00pm OPENING CEREMONY
- Opening prayers (JNI/CAN)
(5mins) - Introduction of Key Guests and FCT Members
(10mins) - Welcome Address (Arewa House)
(10 mins) - FCT 2013 Conference Agenda, Goals & Objectives (Prof. Padraig O’Malley)
(10 mins) - Goodwill Messages
(3 mins each):
- Baghdad (Iraq)
- Belfast (Northern Ireland)
- Derry-Londonderry (Northern Ireland)
- Jerusalem (Israel)
- Haifa (Israel)
- Kirkuk (Iraq)
- Mitte (Berlin, Germany)
- Mostar (Bosnia-Herzegovina)
- Sarajevo (Bosnia-Herzegovina)
- Srebrenica (Bosnia-Herzegovina)
- Tripoli (Lebanon)
- Mitrovica/Kosovska Mitrovicë (Kosovo)
- Ramallah (Palestine)
- Nigerian cities:
- Bauchi, Bauchi State
- Maiduguri, Borno State
- Jos, Plateau State
- Kano, Kano State
- Warri, Delta State
- Kaduna, Kaduna State
- Ibadan, Oyo State
- African cities:
- Eastleigh (Kenya)
- Galkayo (Somalia)
- Kigali (Rwanda)
- Addis Ababa (Ethopia)
- African Union Secretariat
- Keynote address by Guest Speaker
(15 mins) - Remarks by H.R.H Alh. (Dr) Shehu Idris, Chairman Kaduna State Council of Chiefs (10 mins)
- Remarks by the Chief Host, His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Alh. (Dr). Mukhtar Ramalan Yero.
- Declaration of the. 4th F.C.T./ Kaduna Conference. 2013 Open by His Excellency Alh. Namad I Sambo, (GCON) Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria
- Vote of thanks by the Chairman, Local Organizing Committee FCT/Kaduna Conference 2013.
(10 mins) - Mini-Durbar to be performed by Horse Riders from Zazzau Emirate Council
(30 mins) - Closing Prayers by CAN/ JNI
(10 mins)
3.30-4.30pm PANEL DISCUSSION: “Kaduna City: History, Culture, Challenges & Prospects”
Presenter: Arewa House
Chair: Haj. Bilikisu Yusuf, mni
Panelists: Chairman, Kaduna North Local Government Council; Chairman, Kaduna South Local Government Council; Chairman, Igabi Local Government Council; Chairman, Chikun Local Government Council; Director, Arewa House Documentation Center
5.45-6.45pm PANEL DISCUSSION: “Northern Ireland Peace Process”
Chair: Quintin Oliver (Stratagem Northern Ireland)
Panelists: Sean Farren; Kathryn Stone (Commissioner, Commission for Victims & Survivors); Jim Wells MLA
8.30-9.30am PANEL DISCUSSION: “Insurgency & Ethno-Religious Conflict in Nigeria”
Chair: Senator Ahmed M. Makarfi
Panelists: Ibadan; Borno; Warri; Jos; Kaduna
10.45-11.45am PANEL DISCUSSION: “Reducing Religious Radicalism in Nigeria: Interfaith Mediation Centre as a Model”
Chair: Dr Joseph Golwak (Director General, Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution, IPCR Abuja)
Panelists: Pastor Dr James Wuye; Imam (Dr) M.N. Ashafa; Permanent Secretaries Bureau for Religious Affairs (Islamic & Christian Matters); Darren Kew
3.00-4.00pm PANEL DISCUSSION: “Degraded Land & Human Security”
Chair: Professor James Kantiyok (Center for Peace & Security Studies, ABU, Zaria)
Panelists: FCT Secretariat Boston; Hon. Commissioner, Ministry of Agriculture; Hon. Commissioner, Ministry of Environment; Executive Director, FORE (Pastoral Resolves, Kaduna)
5.15-6.15pm PANEL DISCUSSION: “Control of Small Arms & Light Weapons within Divided Cities”
Chair: Commissioner of Police
Panelists: Barry Pollin (Police Service of Northern Ireland); GOC; DSS; Coordinator, Operation Yaki
8.30-9.30am PANEL DISCUSSION: “Divisions that Give Rise to Conflict: The African Experience”
Chair: His Excellency, Ambassador of Rwanda to Nigeria
Panelists: Kenya; Rwanda; Ethiopia; South Africa
10.45-11.45am PANEL DISCUSSION: “Reviving the Economy and Tourism Potential of a Divided City”
Chair: Alhaji Yahaya Aminu (Chief of Staff, Kaduna State)
Presenter: Dr Alimi Bello (President KADCIMMA)
Panelists: KADCIMMA/LOC
2.30-3.30pm PANEL DISCUSSION: “Mitrovica & Kaduna Cities Getting Youth Engagement in the Peace & Reconciliation Process”
Chair: Nancy Riordan (FCT Secretariat Boston)
Panelists: Ardiana Osmani and Milos Golubovic (FCT Mitrovica/Kosovska Mitrovicë); Hayatu Ashafa and Joan Wuye (FCT Kaduna)
2.30-3.30pm PANEL DISCUSSION: “The Role of Women in Bridge Building across Segregated Communities”
Chair: Dr Lydia Umar
Panelists: FOMWAN; BAOBAB; WOWICAN; Minister of Women Affairs & Social Development
7.00-8.00pm PANEL DISCUSSION: “Kaduna Youth, Social Media and Peacemaking”
Chair: Professor Barnabas Williams Qurix (VC KASU)
Panelists: Kaduna Youth Council; National Union of Journalists, Kaduna Chapter); Kaduna Youth Early Warning & Early Response Network
DAY 4: THURSDAY, 7 NOVEMBER 2013
8.30-9.30am PANEL DISCUSSION: “Baghdad: Sectarian Violence & the Future of Iraq”
Chair: Professor Padraig O’Malley
Panelists: TWO Shiites; TWO Sunnis; ONE Christian
10.45-2.00pm HISTORICAL TOURS/LUNCH (LOC)
- Royal Palace of the Emir of Zazzau
- National Museum for Arts and Culture
3.45-4.45pm PANEL DISCUSSION: “From Belfast and Tripoli: The Challenge of Bringing Healing and Reconciliation across Religious and Socio-Political Divides”
Chair: Allan Leonard (FCT Secretariat)
Panelists: Laura McNamee (Belfast); Sean Brennan (Belfast); Tim Attwood (Belfast); Toufic Allouche (Tripoli); Bilal Al-Ayoubi (Tripoli)
6.00-7.00pm PANEL DISCUSSION: “The Role of Faith-Based Organisations in Promoting Peaceful Co-Existence in Kaduna City”
Chair: Bishop Mathew H. Kikah
Panelists: CAN; JNI; Women Interfaith Council (WIC); Interfaith Mediation Centre
Chairs: Professor Padraig O’Malley (FCT Director); Nancy Riordan (FCT Secretariat Boston); Allan Leonard (FCT Secretariat Belfast)
10.45-11.15am PRESS CONFERENCE on outcome of FCT 2013 Conference Kaduna (Announcement of Nigerian Forum for Cities in Transition)
11.15-11.45am OFFICIAL DECLARATION of FCT 2013 Conference Kaduna Close by His Excellency, The Executive Governor of Kaduna State (LOC)
12.45-3.45pm SPECIAL SITE VISIT to the Interfaith Mediation Centre: Kaduna and the International Interfaith Institute of Peace (IIIP) (Kaduna-Abuja Expressway) (LOC)
7.00-9.00pm Gala Night (The Banquet Hall, General Hassan Usman, Katsina House, Kawo, Kaduna) (LOC)
The process is reciprocal because in serving their sister cities, those further along in transition are sharply reminded of where they once were, where they are now, and where they hope to go in continuing their own processes of transition and reconciliation.
In accordance with the mission statement of the FCT, the emphasis is the realisation the of practical outcomes that would assist participating cities improve the daily lives of their citizens, and enhance engagement between officials, NGOs, and residents.
As a result of the extensive one to one networking, bilateral and multilateral deliberations that took place among city delegations in Kaduna, both in formal and informal sessions, the following projects were pledged as the outcomes of the 2013 Forum for Cities in Transition gathering:
- Bauchi (Bauchi State)
- Ibadan (Oyo State)
- Jos (Planteau State)
- Kano (Kano State)
- Maiduguri (Borno State)
- Warri (Delta State)
Baghdad:
- Investors in agriculture to visit Nigeria and share best practice
- Delegates from other cities and governor of Kaduna invited to visit Baghdad
Belfast:
- Develop a twinning with Kirkuk and Tripoli focusing on women and youth
- Develop a peace and reconciliation conference with Queens University in 2015
- TEDx in Stormont video link to enable cities to participate and share ideas (16 April 2014)
- Host 2014 FCT – aiming for a dynamic, interactive conference focusing on sharing successes, challenges and ideas which can be shared and implemented in each of the cities
Derry-Londonderry:
- Invitation to Mitrovica youth to join the youth football tournament (Foyle Cup)
- Mediation, Peace and Reconciliation Group to share mediation training programmes with Tripoli
- Governor accepted invitation to visit Derry Londonderry
- Youth bank connection to Kaduna via St Columbs Park (Brian Dougherty)
Haifa:
- Invitation to a group of women from Kaduna to Haifa to have a seminar in Haifa to build understanding and enable empowerment – 2 week knowledge exchange proposed
- Exchange project with Israeli experts (Kaduna to Haifa / Haifa to Kaduna) to share agricultural best practice
Jerusalem:
- Work across Muslim and Christian divides
- Pledged commitment to values, principles and values of FCT
Kaduna:
- Begin work on establishing a regional forum for FCT in Nigeria and Africa
Kirkuk:
- General pledge to work together to promote values of co-operation
- Continue to support the ongoing construction of the hospital
- Support children, women and people in need
- Support education
Mitrovica:
- Support next youth conference, providing advice, support and guidance based on their experiences this year
- Also support the youth delegates to implement and fulfil their commitments
- Send youth football team to youth football tournament (Foyle Cup) in Derry Londonderry
- Mitrovica Rock School plan to visit Tripoli as part of the outcomes from FCT Youth Conference
- Proposed Jerusalem / Haifa / Palestine / Mitrovica youth exchange
Mitte:
- School to bring pupils from Derry-Londonderry and Cyprus to Mitte to begin to understand the different cultures, a 1 week radio workshop (“crossing barriers and understanding each other”) is suggested as part of this exchange
- Support a training workshop on Procurement – this would be open to delegates from any cities who wish to participate, develop skills to counteract corruption
Mostar:
- Exchange with Mitte on women’s projects
- Develop a forum on women in the post conflict environment with Srebrenica and Sarajevo
Ramallah:
- Microfinance knowledge exchange to share experiences about soft loans, share with Baghdad
- Summer camp – targeted youth programme
Sarajevo:
- Support peace and reconciliation work, support youth work in Balkans
- Aim to host youth forum in Balkans region in the next few years
Srebrenica:
- Support ideas and initiatives and collaborate with Sarajevo and Mostar
Tripoli:
- Continuation of ongoing activities relating to non-violence campaign
- Mediation commitment, “Mercy Corps,” support for developing advocacy skills
- Continuation of Hip-Hop revolution through Coalition against violence “Cross Arts project”
- Kaduna twinning to work together on women’s projects
- Provide youth group attendees to future youth conferences
- Ramallah / Mitrovica / Tripoli youth exchange
- 1000 students to participate in remedial learning projects
FCT Secretariat:
- Offer a continuation of working with host city organiser of annual gathering — ACAI Events — for mutual learning and development of local partnerships
- Work with Tripoli to provide a rich information source for global peacemakers, via FCT website and social media channels
- Identify and share appropriate contacts for the purpose of economic development in all FCT cities
- Provide printed and other material to members for fundraising on behalf of the Forum for Cities in Transition
- Improve the governance of the FCT Secretariat, to facilitate greater operational management by FCT members
The effectiveness of the FCT depends on the above outcomes being translated into action. The FCT Secretariat pledges to follow up on every outcome agreed to ensure implementation but ultimately, responsibility for and action towards project implementation belongs to the cities themselves.
FCT Secretariat
November 2013