Community-Driven Peacebuilding Campaigns in Nigeria

Kaduna has a long-standing history of loyalties along religious, tribal, ethnic, political, and economic fault lines which have been turned into tools for polarization over the decades. Rebuilding relationships and achieving constructive change has been a herculean task in southern Kaduna. For peacebuilding to occur, the restoration of relationships serves as a prerequisite for peace.

The Global Peace Foundation has been working in Kaduna state since 2014, advancing concrete steps toward peace in an area where sectarian violence has disrupted everyday life. A series of ethno-religious killings and counter-killings in 2016 between members of Nigeria’s indigenous populations and the predominantly nomadic, Muslim Fulani people made headlines for what would be remembered as the “Southern Kaduna Killings.”

GPF Nigeria immediately addressed the crisis with coordinated mediation meetings between leaders from both sides and key stakeholders spanning several months and many districts. As the crisis escalated, GPF initiated its “One Family Under God” campaign and other community peacebuilding efforts. Their mission is to collaborate with diverse community members including faith leaders, women, and youth on the path to sustainable peace based on common principles and shared values.