The Canadian Government has announced a donation of $1.2 million for projects to promote tolerance for religions around the world, including Nigeria and Central Asia. The fund, given under its office of religious freedoms, aims to protect and advocate on behalf of religious minorities under threat, and oppose hatred and intolerance for religion.
The Canadian Government will give $553,643 over two years for the promotion of “intercommunity dialogue and conflict mediation” in Jos, Plateau State, and other parts of Nigeria to develop local mediation capacity and bring together community and religious leaders to talk. Canada also plans to train ten senior government officials and key persons from institutions dealing with peace-making to strengthen the Federal Government’s capacity to support conflict management and resolution. The project funding is going to the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue.
Canada’s Foreign Minister John Baird, says “the goal is to establish a roadmap to strengthen the countries’ capacity to encourage conflict management.”
