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By Vivian Onyebukwa
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, has offered his support to a golf tournament promoting peace.
The CODS met with the team of peace advocates in a meeting, led by Kemi Olowoyo-Otegbade, the initiator of the Golf for Peace Tournament where he expressed his enthusiasm and appreciation for the initiative, recognizing the power of sports to transcend political, religious, and cultural barriers.
Other members of the delegation to the CDS included Chairman, Organising Committee, Ambassador Enoch Duchi, Makosi Musambasi, among others.
The tournament, scheduled for November 25, 2023, at IBB Golf Course and Country Club, Abuja aims to bring together prominent military personnel, influential figures, and avid golf enthusiasts from various nations, backgrounds, and ideologies.
According to CDS, sports by their very nature, promote fair competition, teamwork, and respect for rules. “These values, when embraced, can transcend societal divisions and unite individuals from diverse backgrounds, fostering a sense of shared humanity,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of showcasing peaceful alternatives to conflict resolution, saying that, by organizing a golf tournament promoting peace, the focus would shift from traditional militaristic approaches to peaceful endeavours that prioritize dialogue, cooperation, and understanding.
This demonstration of non-violent conflict resolution, CDS said, could inspire individuals, governments, and organizations to explore similar initiatives, ultimately contributing to a more harmonious world.
On their part, the team stated that in today’s strife-ridden world, the pursuit of peace has become more crucial than ever. “As an ardent advocate for peace, we had a meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff, aimed at discussing a unique initiative, a golf tournament promoting peace. The encounter, highlighted the significance of fostering peaceful dialogues and the potential impact of unconventional approaches in achieving harmony”.
They referred to the golf tournament as a platform for promoting peace, embodied the belief that peace transcends boundaries. “By bringing together prominent military personnel, influential figures, and avid golf enthusiasts, the tournament aimed to create an environment that fostered dialogue, understanding, and collaboration. The Chief of Defence Staff played a pivotal role in spearheading this initiative, recognizing the power of sports to transcend political, religious, and cultural barriers”, the group said.
The team expressed appreciation to the Chief of Defence Staff, a peace advocate, for his support, and invited him to be the Special Guest of Honour for the tournament. They also shared their vision and goals for the tournament, which include, providing a platform for diplomatic dialogue among participants from different nations, backgrounds, and ideologies, building bridges of trust between military personnel and civilians by engaging in friendly competition and conversations outside traditional military contexts.
Others include inspiring a global movement towards peaceful resolutions by showcasing the positive impact of sports, and an innovative initiative that aims to foster peaceful dialogues and collaborations through sports.
