By Maryam Diallo Dakar
UN Interfaith Harmony Award Winner Congratulates Interfaith Mediation Center on 30 Years of Peacebuilding
Kaduna, Nigeria – April 25, 2025
Pastor Dr. Yohanna Buru, recipient of the United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week Award in 2022, has extended his warm congratulations to the Interfaith Mediation Center (IMC) in Kaduna State, Northwestern Nigeria, as it marks 30 years of promoting interreligious tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
In a press release issued to the media on Friday, Pastor Buru—who also serves as the General Overseer of Christ Evangelical and Life Intervention Ministry, Gwagyi Villa, Kaduna—commended the center’s co-founders, Reverend Dr. James Movel Wuye and Imam Dr. Nuraini Ashafa, for their unwavering dedication to building bridges between faith communities.
“For three decades, Reverend James and Imam Ashafa have led by example, working tirelessly to foster forgiveness, unity, and mutual respect among people of different faiths,” Pastor Buru stated. “Their efforts have not only strengthened peace across Nigeria’s 36 states but have also had a powerful impact throughout Africa.”
He described the center as a leading force in training peace ambassadors, mediators, and dialogue facilitators who serve in academic institutions, peace institutes, and grassroots communities across the continent.
Pastor Buru, who proudly identified himself as one of the center’s former students, noted that he has personally learned valuable lessons about peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and the power of forgiveness through the teachings of Reverend Wuye and Imam Ashafa.
“I continue to learn from their wisdom—especially their approaches to conflict mitigation using early warning and early response systems, and their use of both kinetic and non-kinetic methods to manage crises and tensions.”
He praised the Interfaith Mediation Center for educating millions across Africa on the values of peace, tolerance, and the rejection of violence, regardless of religious or ethnic background.
As the center celebrates 30 years of service, Pastor Buru called on the Nigerian government, civil society organizations, and international partners to continue supporting its work in fostering interfaith understanding and social harmony.
He also congratulated other key peacebuilders who have contributed to the center’s journey, including Imam Sani Isah, Reverend Bitrus Dangiwa, Sheikh Abdullahi Sufi, Mr. Samson Auta, Mallam Hayatu Shafa, Reverend Joshua Kurmi Pyan, among others.
“The Interfaith Mediation Center stands as a beacon of hope in a world often divided by differences,” Pastor Buru concluded. “May its legacy of peace, tolerance, and unity continue to flourish for generations to come.”
