Share
Bishop of Kohima Rev. Dr. James Thoppil during the Peace Centre foundation stone laying ceremony at St. Joseph Higher Secondary School in Chümoukedima on March 9.[/caption]
Dimapur, March 9 (EMN): Bishop of Kohima diocese Most Rev. Dr. James Thoppil laid the foundation stone for the Peace Centre, a centre for education, research and community action for peace and peace studies, at St. Joseph Higher Secondary School in Chümoukedima on March 9.
A statement from Peace Channel desk informed that many fathers and sisters, 120 catechists from the diocese village leaders, faculty, staff of Peace Channel and students of North East Institute of Social Sciences and Research (NEISSR) witnessed the Peace Centre foundation stone laying ceremony.
The Bishop in his message informed that Peace Centre, Dimapur is an amalgamation of the NEISSR, wherein one wing will “provide academic courses in graduation and post-graduation in peace and allied subjects to address the needs for developing professionals and academic human resources in taking up social changes and another wing will be the secretariat of Peace Channel Movement which would engage in institutional and community level peace building.”
It is conceptualized to address the unique nature and need of the state and the region, considering the protracted conflicts that defined the socio-economic life of the people for past several decades, said the Bishop. The church has been consistently striving to bring succour and hope to the people who needed our services in the field of education, health and social services, especially in her mission to reach the unreached in the remotest part of the state, he added.
The Bishop also appreciated Fr. C.P. Anto and his team for the noble initiatives and the contribution that both the institutions have been rendering to the well-being and growth of the people in the region.
Earlier during the programme, Fr. Dr. C.P. Anto said in his welcome address said that the “Peace Centre is envisioned as an institution that would herald and promote professional education for social change, develop theories, facilitating mediation and dialogue, promotions of peace education among the children and youth and mobilisation and capacity building of the church, community leaders and engaging different communities to build peace and strive for sustainable peace.”
“It (Peace Centre) also will have peace museum, peace library, dialogue and cultural centre,” he said and expressed hope of completing the construction of the centre by 2020.