Femi Alufa Discloses Secrets Of Ekiti Peace Day “Kiriji Memorial Festival”

Femi Alufa a broadcast engineer turned social entrepreneur, publisher and community mobilizer is the convener of the Ekiti Peace Day observed in conformity with the United Nations Peace Day.

News Rain recently had a chat with him on the reason behind the annual festival, ‘Kiriji Memorial Festival’ and the importance of peace in every society and the world at large as the organization celebrates this year’s event with the theme; “… A Pledge to Peace and Sustainable Development”. Excerpts.

The Background

Every year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21st September. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire.

Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire.

This year, it has been clearer than ever that we are not each other’s enemies. Rather, our common enemy is a tireless virus that threatens our health, security, and very way of life. COVID-19 has thrown our world into turmoil and forcibly reminded us that what happens in one part of the planet can impact people everywhere.

In March, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on all warring parties to lay down their weapons and focus on the battle against this unprecedented global pandemic. While the message is intended for armed parties, solidarity, and cooperation across borders, sectors, and generations are also needed to win this new fight against the worst public health crisis of our time.

For the United Nations, 2020 was already meant to be a year of listening and learning. To mark its 75th anniversary, the UN has invited millions of people worldwide to join UN75, the largest and furthest-reaching global conversation on building the peaceful and prosperous future that we want.

As we struggle to defeat COVID-19, your voice is more important than ever. In these difficult times of physical distancing, this International Day of Peace will be dedicated to fostering dialogue and collecting ideas. The world will be invited to unite and share thoughts on how to weather this storm, heal our planet, and change it for the better. Even though we may not be able to stand next to each other, we can still dream together.

The 2020 theme for the International Day of Peace is “Shaping Peace Together.” Celebrate the day by spreading compassion, kindness, and hope in the face of the pandemic. Stand together with the UN against attempts to use the virus to promote discrimination or hatred. Join us so that we can shape peace together.
The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.

Femi Alufa On Secrets Of Ekiti Peace Day

The United Nations invites all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities during the Day and to otherwise commemorate the Day.

Our ideal festival is the #EKITIPEACEDAY (Kiriji Memorial Festival) contrived to be one of Nigeria’s most successful and vibrant modern festivals to showcase, support, enhances peace and sustainable development initiatives in Nigeria.

The annual festival of #EkitiPeaceDay is an ultimate honor to celebrate the universal value of peace, freedom, and development which our forebears exemplified. Our ancestors of EkitiParapo fought Kiriji War in 1877 to 1893 for 16 years as the long civil war in world history.

The Yoruba peace treaty was signed at the mid-station of the war by our ancestors on September 23, 1886, at Imesi-Ile, now in Osun State of Nigeria. They deserve our eternal gratitude as our heroes and pacifists. The annual #EkitiPeaceDay (Kiriji Memorial Festival) will be an extraordinary festival dedicated to their memorial and commissioning new work across the spectrum of creativity, the culture of peace, and sustainable development in Ekiti State of Nigeria.

What is the focus of the Event?

The annual festival will be driven through Discussions, Networking, Book Fair, Films, Music, Arts, and Culture as a form of the event.
Ekiti State is regarded as the fountain of knowledge and land of Honour. The State has a rich culture and heritage which should be market to the world. Through the Festival, we will internationalize our culture and values to the outside world.” Through the celebration of our heroes, we honour ourselves.”

What are the Vision and Mission of the idea?

Our vision is clear, the event is created to be an atmosphere of energy, excitement, and projecting of the universal values of peace, brotherhood and courage which EkitiParapo warriors of the 19th century symbolized to the outside world and to promote and imbibe this culture of service to humanity.
And also talking about our Mission. It is to help secure Ekiti Parapo warriors memorial as a great tourism destination, by celebrating their legacy and pivotal role in Yoruba nation-building; civic education, the arts, culture, and values orientation to teach lessons in service to humanity.

What Are to be Expected?

The aims of the Festival is to create an international, ambitious and extraordinary festival, dedicated to the memorial of Ekiti forefathers who signed the Yoruba Peace Treaty on September 23, 1886 at Kiriji, Imesi-Ile and commissioning new work across the spectrum of creativity and human endeavors.

This we believe we help secure Ekiti Parapo warriors and pacifists status as a world-class hero, celebrating their pivotal role in peace, patriotism and nation-building.

And at the same time welcome national and international talents, resources, and communities to take part in the #EKITIPEACEDAY (Kiriji Memorial Festival), in extraordinary ways that reflects the festival’s aims and ambition. This in all we make a great impact in the tourism and economic development of Ekiti State and Nigeria in general, ensuring that there is a lasting legacy for the state in the comity of Nigerian states.

Why the Festival?

The Importance of the festival is immeasurable to the development of Nigeria, especially Ekiti State and its people in particular. These are the highlight of the benefits of the Festival;
1. Restoration of our values and cultural heritage
2. The economic benefit to the people, hosting communities and the government at the local and state level
3. Job creation for the Ekiti youths and other stakeholders
4. Tourism development of the State
5. Internationalization of the Ekiti Arts and Culture.
6. Education development and better research on Ekiti in the Academic world.
7. The atmosphere for Ekiti people to socialize with other people from different parts of Nigeria and the world.
We are celebrating the EKITIPEACEDAY in conjunction with the United Nations International Peace Day on September 21 annually since 2019 at Okemesi-Ekiti, Ekiti State to pay tribute to our forebears; our Ekitiparapo ancestors who fought for the liberation of our people from marauders and “Ajeles”(integral colonialists) that Prowl our land like a tiger on its Prowl.

The search for peace is as old as the war itself. As the world is battling with the coronavirus causing COVID-19 pandemic in the second decade of the 21st century. What we need still is Peace in the turbulent times to make the world a safer planet.

We still need a peaceful day Intervention in a low key celebration wherever we are to combat the virus that is ravaging our planet. In any circumstances, we must be an Oasis of Peace. This is the essence of Shaping Peace Together in the year 2020 amidst COVID-19.
It is.out the belief that we will win this new war of virus totally as our ancestors won the old wars.

How was last year’s event and who and who are you expecting to grace the event this year?

Last year’s event was highly successful. There were dignitaries far and wide, from the North, South, East, and West. Every Nigerian was represented. Remarkably, at last year’s event we had and installed our Peace Ambassador for the initiative in the person of Princess Adebimpe Oyebade, also known as Mo Bimpe, a popular Nollywood actress and top model. This year we are expecting more. The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and the President, Yoruba World Congress, Prof. Banji Akintoye are the Special Guests of Honour, the event is going to be chaired by the same man who was the chairman last year, Chief Kunle Olajide, a notable politician and elder statesman. It is surely going to be great.