Academic Associates PeaceWorks recognizes the direct link between peace and development. An example was our work in Karu Local Government of Nasarawa State, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory, which has a growth rate of 40% per year. Our work, which focused on building bridges of trust and cooperation among the various groups in the area, included:
- PRA
- REFLECT literacy survey, adult literacy training and establishment of 25 literacy circles.
- Conflict management training for top traditional rulers; community leaders in each of the 8 major communities; different sectors of Local Government employees; police, SSS, immigration and INEC officials
- Peace education training and establishment of peace clubs in secondary schools
- CEFE entrepreneurial training
- HIV/AIDS awareness training
- The Karu Unity Festival, which celebrated the cultural diversity of Karu Local Government. This was the basis for the choice of Karu for the visit of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II during CHOGM
- Peace and development projects throughout the local government, including water, farming and income generation activities, through local Peace and Development Committees
This model of peace and development activities has brought together many diverse groups including the Federal, State and Local Governments, the World Bank, the German Embassy, GTZ, the security agencies, INEC, the traditional institutions, various ethnic and cultural groups.