A student speaking during an evaluation of a GPF project in Bukuru Town.
Interfaith dialogue among diverse religious communities has been instrumental in promoting peacebuilding in Nigeria. Recognizing the significance of relationships built on shared values and principles, the Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Nigeria and the Christian Rural and Urban Development Association of Nigeria (CRUDAN) partnered to implement “Promoting Interfaith Dialogue for Sustainable Peace and Social Cohesion in Bukuru Town, Jos South Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State.” The collaborative project aimed to create an environment of mutual understanding and cooperation where people of interfaith religions engage in meaningful dialogue to ease tensions, reduce violence, and develop a foundation for a sustainable, peaceful coexistence.
The six-month project was conducted from September 2023 to February 2024. It used a multi-pronged approach to involve diverse interfaith communities in various peacebuilding activities to build trust and relationships and foster sustainable peace and social cohesion. Multiple sessions offered training in peacebuilding and key conflict resolution areas and empowered participants via community-led initiatives.
Adamu Tanko Ahmed, an elder from UnguwanDoki Community, speaks during a final evaluation of the GPF peacebuilding project.
Participants gained knowledge and skills in community dialogue and reconciliation, non-violent communication and leadership, promoting freedom of religion within the community, conflict analysis and social healing, and conflict resolution and mediation. A trauma healing workshop provided participants with information and tools to aid their recovery and promote healing. In addition, a community-led initiative empowered women to form five cooperative societies, which created social cohesion among the diverse participants while improving their livelihoods through financial literacy and start-up capital for economic enterprises. Several schools were also provided with much-needed equipment and furniture.
“Thanks to the efforts of the Global Peace Foundation Nigeria and CRUDAN, we’ve experienced a remarkable shift towards reconciliation and cooperation. Their dedication to fostering peace has truly brought about positive change, leaving a lasting impact on our community.”
Nigerian woman gives her feedback during an evaluation session on a GPF peacebuilding program.
Data collection and analysis were important phases of the project and were crucial to gauge the success of the planned initiatives during the six-month period. GPF Nigeria collected comprehensive data using various collection tools, such as surveys, questionnaires, and interviews. Forty targeted participants and 100 community members from the LGA were instrumental in this process. Their support ensured a collaborative approach while enabling the successful collection of conflict and socioeconomic data used to determine the program’s effectiveness, level of community engagement, lessons learned, challenges, and recommended improvements.
Community leaders expressed their gratitude to GPF and CRUDAN for the opportunity to participate in the project. A community leader, Ibrahim, commented, “Before the intervention, our community was plagued by mistrust and division. Thanks to the efforts of the Global Peace Foundation Nigeria and CRUDAN, we’ve experienced a remarkable shift towards reconciliation and cooperation. Their dedication to fostering peace has truly brought about positive change, leaving a lasting impact on our community.”
Community members were also thankful for the program. Fatima stated, “I used to fear stepping foot in the neighboring community due to longstanding tensions. Thanks to the Global Peace Foundation Nigeria and CRUDAN’s intervention, I now feel a sense of safety and acceptance. The initiatives they’ve introduced have brought our communities closer together, fostering understanding and unity like never before.”
Abdul Ahmed, Programs Manager GPF Nigeria, facilitating a session.
Evaluation and monitoring of the implemented peacebuilding training and community-led initiatives provided valuable insight. Lessons learned include the importance of community ownership from initial planning to final evaluation, a tailored approach to training that meets the diverse needs of participants, and the critical role of continuous dialogue and engagement in peacebuilding activities. Also deemed important were determining the root causes of conflict to lay a solid foundation for sustainable peace, the importance of trauma healing to address emotional scars and end violence, and adopting inclusive approaches to gender and healing that recognize the inherent strength of women and youth in peacebuilding.
The collaborative project successfully engaged diverse community members who gained valuable peacebuilding knowledge and skills while improving relationships and promoting trust. Yet, there were a few challenges: tensions due to conflicts in other LGAs within the state, concern that more than six months were needed to achieve sustainable peace, and the need to expand the project to other communities. These challenges highlight the complexity of achieving sustainable peace and the continuing need for community members to commit long-term to collaboratively engage in peacebuilding activities that are strategically planned, organized, and implemented while addressing the root causes of conflict.
“Promoting Interfaith Dialogue for Sustainable Peace and Social Cohesion in Bukuru Town, Jos South Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State” exemplifies the significant impact of the collaborative efforts of GPF and CRUDAN. Identified project results include enhanced community capacity, improved interfaith relations, empowered community members, and sustainable peacebuilding. These results also emphasize the fundamental power of interfaith dialogue to engage diverse communities in the common goal of creating sustainable peace and social cohesion.
Nigerian students in Bukuru Town show support for One Family under God.
Project beneficiaries support several actions to further the project’s success. These include scaling up peacebuilding activities in other communities facing similar issues as Bukuru, investing in youth and youth empowerment to provide the education and skills they will need as our future moral and innovative leaders, and promoting interfaith dialogue and collaboration to support peacebuilding among diverse communities.
