TANZANIANS URGED TO OBSERVE PEACE TOWARDS GENERAL ELECTIONS

Ms Martha Nghambi, the Country Director for Global Peace Foundation Tanzania (GPFTZ), addressing a press conference in Dar es Salaam during the official launch of the peaceful awareness national campaign named “Amani Kwanza” on Monday, August 31, 2015. On the right is Reverend Thomas Ngoda, Director for the Inter Religious Council for Peace in Tanzania (IRCPT) and left is GPFTZ Administration Officer, Ms Hilda Ngaja.

Director for the Inter Religious Council for Peace in Tanzania (IRCPT), Reverend Thomas Ngoda, speaking during the press conference. Others in the picture are GPFTZ Administration Officer, Ms Hilda Ngaja, and GPFTZ Country Director, Martha Nghambi.

GPFTZ Country Director, Martha Nghambi (right), addressing a press conference in Dar es Salaam on Monday, August 31, 2015. On the left is GPFTZ’s Projects and Youth Officer, Mr Dixon Kamala.

Global Peace Foundation Tanzania (GPFTZ) Country Director, Martha Nghambi (left) and Director for the Inter Religious Council for Peace in Tanzania (IRCPT), Rev. Thomas Goda, showing a flyer with peace awareness message.

Members of the press at the conference.

GPFTZ Administration Officer, Hilda Ngaja (left) and Ambassador of Peace for GPF, Dr. Ulimwengu, showing a flyer with peace awareness message.

By Daniel Mbega

Dare es Salaam, Tanzania

Monday, August 31, 2015: Tanzanians have been urged to observe peace through common spiritual aspirations, principles, values and the universal truth during the upcoming general election.

The call was made today during the official launch of a peaceful awareness national campaign named “Amani Kwanza” by the Global Peace Foundation Tanzania (GPFTZ) with its partner, Inter Religious Council for Peace in Tanzania (IRCPT).

Speaking during the launch in Dar es Salaam, GPFTZ’s Country Director Ms Martha Nghambi, said the campaign seeks to inspire and encourage all Tanzanians towards a peaceful participation at the upcoming General election on 25^th October 2015.

“This campaign is not intending to support or oppose any candidate, and has no political affiliations and it works on the slogan “KURA YANGU UZALENDO WANGU, AMANI YA NCHI YANGU NI JUKUMU LANGU” (My vote my patriotism, my country’s peace my role),” she said.

Tanzania had recently become one of the few African countries that had continued to mobilise other countries to maintain peace.

According to her, the campaign – which will be promoted on all media outlets (mainstream and online) – is designed to promote and influence peace throughout the country, with particular focus on women and youths because they are the majority of voters and are also the most vulnerable groups in the event of election upheavals.

Ms Nghambi added: “The campaign aims to make women and youths good ambassadors in maintaining and promoting peace during the election season as well as to curb unnecessary events and actions that have potential to interrupt peace in Tanzania.”

IRCPT director, Rev. Thomas Goda, said everyone has the responsibility to maintain peace in the country especially towards this year’s general elections.

“African region has witnessed an alarming rise of intra-state and interstate conflicts in recent decades, most of them caused by politics especially pre and post elections. These conflicts have taken a huge toll in terms of human lives lost, the suffering of refugees and internally displaced people, and the destruction of the social fabric, physical infrastructure, and natural resources, we need join hands to protect peace,” he was quoted as saying.

GPFTZ is the Tanzanian Chapter of Global Peace Foundation (GPF), an international non-sectarian, non-partisan and nonprofit making organization with its headquarters in Washington DC which promotes an innovative and values-based approach to peace building that is guided by the vision of One Family under God.

GPF engages and organizes a global network of public and private sector partners who develop community, national, and regional peace building models as the foundation for ethical and cohesive societies.

GPF’s records of effectiveness are seen in hot spots in Africa, Asia and other parts of the world.

The peace campaign launch comes hardly two months before the general elections and one month since the 1st Global Peace Leadership Conference took place in Zanzibar that attracted eight former African presidents, top government, religious and business leaders, entrepreneurs, women and youth leaders and other influential public figures from Eastern Africa Countries.

The conference, held at the Melia Hotel in the Spice Island from July 21-24, 2015, was aimed at promoting peace, security and sustainable development in East Africa.

The four-day conference was attended by former Zambia President Rupiah Banda and former presidents Amani Abeid Karume (Zanzibar), Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria), GirmaWolde- Giorgis (Ethiopia) and James Mancham (Seychelles) as well as former Kenya Prime Minister Raila Amoro Odinga.