The seventh Dialogue and Peace Iftar Dinner and Awards Ceremony, was held recently at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja.
The annual event was organised by Ufuk Dialogue, which was founded in FCT, Abuja for the purpose
of promoting dialogue, culture of co-existence, mutual understanding and to establish a common
interfaith, intercultural and intellectual platform aimed at providing information and opinion
exchange.
The event was also organised to confer awards on some exceptional personalities in Nigeria for their
wonderful effort and support in developing a peaceful society.
While speaking at the event, the president of Ufuk Dialogue, Kamil Kemanci, said that Ufuk Dialogue
serves to stand by societal peace, love, respect and compassion in support of human dignity and the
greater good by striving to preserve the common values of humanity: values such as respect,
tolerance, peace and mutual understanding.
Ufuk Dialogue also organises conferences with the theme, " Countering Violent Extremism Through
Love and Tolerance," which brings people of different faiths and ethnic backgrounds around the
sane table.
Today, we need dialogue and peace more than we need food and shelter. Dialogue and peaceful
coexistence have always been and still remain a need, a must for us to have a healthy and more
productive society.
According to Kemanci, In dialogue, it is possible to transform conflict into cooperation.
Some of the dignitaries conferred with awards were, Awardees for the 7th Dialogue and Peace
awards are Hajia Aisha Buhari, wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Eminence, Rev. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, President, Christian Association of Nigeria. Sheikh Shariff Ibrahim Saleh Al-Hussaini, CON, Chairman, Fatwa Committee Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and Cahirman, Assembly of Muslims in Nigeria.
Others includes: Most Rev. Dr. Augustine Tochukwu Ukwuoma, Chairman, Pastoral Agents Catholic Bishop’s Conference, Professor Amidu SANNI, Vice Chancellor Fountain University, Osogbo-OSUN STATE, Fr. Prof. Hycianth Eme Ichoku, Vice Chancellor Veritas University
Prof. Ibrahim Muhammad Ahmad, Bayero University Kano, Mrs Pauline Dame Tallen, OFR, Board Member, National Agency for The Control of AIDS, Festus Keyamo, Senior Advocate of Nigeria and International Arbitrator, Apostle (Prof.) Alexander Bamgbola, Chairman Lagos State Christian Association of Nigeria.
Mudashir Obasa, Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly. Nigerian Inter Religious Council (NIREC)
One of the awardees, Dame Pauline Tallen, while commending the Ufuk Dialogue, organisers of the
event and dedicating the award to all Nigerians said, My prayer is that God will make all the efforts
of Ufuk Dialogue in establishing peace and love among us to be successful.
Whether we are of the Christian or Muslim faith or any other, we are all children of God and
therefore, we need to learn to live in peace with one another”.
