Creative Minds International Academy

New Era Educational and Charitable Support Foundation (NEEDCSI), in partnership with the Center for Innovations and Development Initiative (CIDI),  and Creative Minds International Academy is pleased to announce the convening of the 2nd National Summit on Education for Peace and Development in Nigeria. The Theme of the 2^nd National Summit on Education for Peace and Development is: Transcending Conflicts and Overcoming Boundaries of ‘Self’ and ‘Other’ through Education. The Summit will be held on Saturday, March 25, 2017 in Abuja, Nigeria.

The 1st National Summit on Education for Peace and Development was held on Saturday, September 26, 2015, at the Banquet Hall of the Hill Station Hotel, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, under the Theme: Rethinking Education as a Tool for Peace and Development, in partnership with the Universal Peace Federation-Nigeria (UPF-Nigeria) and was sponsored by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON-Jos), United Religions Initiative -URI West Africa Regional Office, Creative Minds Development Foundation, Project Happiness, Mindfulness Without Borders and the Bege Foundation.

Education is a fundamental right that should be maintained at all times, even in the most difficult circumstances. This is not simply an ideological statement. Education is an essential tool for human development and eradication of poverty. Where the opportunity of education has been lost due to conflict, it is not just a loss to the individual, but a loss of social capital and the capacity of a society to recover from the conflict. Education can be part of the problem as well as part of the solution. Policies and practice at all levels within the education system need to be analysed in terms of their potential to aggravate or ameliorate conflict- (Smith and Vaux, 2003).

During the 2nd National Summit on Education for Peace and Development, we shall again present the Award of Champions of Education for Peace and Development to individuals and Organizations who are rolling up their sleeves and supporting, facilitating and promoting Educational development, peace and social justice in Nigeria. The Award recognizes and celebrates the extraordinary work of organizations and individuals who are rolling up their sleeves and making outstanding contributions to the development of Education in Nigeria. These outstanding contributions include, but not limited to building of new schools/classrooms in different parts of the country, provision of modern educational tools, equipments and instructional materials that facilitate students learning in a conducive environment, scholarship programs that support academically gifted but economically disadvantaged students, training of teachers and educators, peace education, social justice, etc. Through these ways, these Organizations and Individuals have become Champions and Models for peace and development efforts across Nigeria. Through their work, they are sending an important positive message to the world about the importance of education for building peaceful and sustainable societies.

On Thursday, December 3, 2015, students and staff of Creative Minds International Academy, with support from Youth Groups of Global Network for Rights and Development (YGGNRD-Nigeria), conducted a SPORTS/WALK FOR PEACE Event. 256 students walked through the streets of Jos, singing peace songs and dancing and distributing flyers and handbills as they went. The Walk started from the School temporary site in Dadin Kowa and terminated at the Permanent Site at Rantya, with sporting activities, including football and volley ball.

The students distributed handbills,posters and flyers as they walked and danced along the streets ofJos. The students were joined by excited parents and members of the public who came out to offer them support and encouragement.