The Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Nigeria was highly active throughout July, partnering with several organizations to sponsor community-driven peacebuilding activities under its flagship program— the Democratic Governance, Peacebuilding and Social Cohesion Initiative. This initiative promotes a collaborative approach to building sustainable peace and strengthening social cohesion by engaging youth, women, religious leaders, traditional institutions, government agencies, and civil society organizations in dialogue, leadership development, civic education, and community action.
Rev. Hayab at the Youth-Led Peace and Intergenerational Dialogue in Abuja
Each of the activities— a Youth-Led Peace Dialogue and Intergenerational Dialogue on Peacebuilding, a virtual seminar on Embracing Strategic Community Policing by Vigilance and Confidential Reporting, and participation in the National Stakeholders’ Workshop on Electoral Engagement and Peaceful Democratic Participation—underscores the importance of working together to achieve meaningful results. While the specific activities range from intergenerational dialogue to conflict prevention and democratic participation, stronger outcomes are consistently achieved when collaboration is a driving factor.
This is particularly important for young people, who are our future moral and innovative leaders, yet their journey toward becoming strong leaders and peacebuilders depends on the support and guidance of their families, communities, and society as a whole. By working side by side with experienced peacebuilders, they gain essential values and life skills that will serve them throughout their lives. Intergenerational dialogue offers multiple benefits: it bridges generational gaps, builds trust, combines the wisdom of older generations with the insight and creativity of the young, and strengthens community resilience and inclusivity.
GPF Nigeria’s approach aligns with the global Youth, Peace and Security agenda, which recognizes young people as active partners in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and social cohesion, as well as with community-led peacebuilding efforts in Nigeria that emphasize inclusive dialogue among youth, women, traditional and religious leaders, government, and civil society.
On July 15, more than 70 diverse participants, including youth leaders, elders, CSOs, development partners, and government representatives, gathered at the United Nations House in Abuja, Nigeria, to engage in interactive dialogue sessions, keynote presentations, storytelling, panel discussions, question-and-answer sessions, networking, and experience sharing. Organizations partnering with GPF Nigeria included the United Nations, the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, and the Africa Youth Growth Foundation staff.
The session created a platform for both experienced peacebuilders and young people to interact and learn from one another, highlighting the importance of inclusivity in achieving a peaceful coexistence. Too often, different generations view each other with distrust and see interaction as a problem, not a solution. GPF Nigeria and its partners recognize the value of bringing multiple generations together to develop a peaceful path forward, ensuring that young people gain the knowledge, skills, and values needed to become effective change agents and ambassadors of peace. Additionally, stakeholders established new partnerships and collaborative opportunities to sustain momentum going forward.
The young people attending the session appreciated the opportunity to interact with experienced peacebuilders. Susan O. Michael, a youth peace advocate, noted that “The Youth-Led Peace Dialogue gave me the opportunity to learn directly from experienced peacebuilders while sharing the perspectives of young people. I left the dialogue inspired to become a stronger advocate for peace, inclusion, and responsible leadership within my community. The conversations reminded me that young people are not just the future—we are active partners in building peace today.”
Susan’s reflection underscores the importance of creating meaningful opportunities for young people to engage with older generations. As active partners in peacebuilding, they benefit greatly from these interactions that build on their potential and equip them to become moral and innovative leaders. GPF Nigeria remains at the forefront of fostering these intergenerational exchanges that support and empower young people in their development.
