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Connecting and Amplifying Voices of Youth Building Peace | 1 Connecting and Amplifying Voices of Youth Building Peace | 1 . Connecting and Amplifying Voices of Youth Building Peace | 2 Copyright ©BBforPeace2020 All rights reserved. No part of this book should be reproduced without the express permission of the publishers. Published November 2020 ISBN: 978-978-985-920-7 Keywords: Youth, Peace, Security, UNSCR 2250, United Nations, AU, Nigeria EDITORS Rafiu Adeniran Lawal - Editor in Chief Allwell Oseahume Akhigbe-Editor Efetobor Stephanie Effevottu-Editor Published by: Building Blocks for Peace Foundation (BBforPeace) Address: 14, Idi-Ape/Basorun Road, Opposite Femi Specialist Hospital, Basorun, Ibadan, Oyo State. Tel: +234 8054151494 Website: www.bbforpeace.org E-mail: [email protected] Connecting and Amplifying Voices of Youth Building Peace | 3 iii DEDICATION This publication is dedicated to the youth, women, children, humanitarian staff, security personnel and every other person who have lost their lives or families to the insurgency, terrorism and any form of violence in Nigeria. Connecting and Amplifying Voices of Youth Building Peace | 4 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it." H.E. Luccock This work is the result of immeasurable contributions from different actors. Particularly, we would like to thank all our authors and their organizations for their cooperation and sacrifices in making this publication a reality by sharing their inspiring stories. This is a unique publication, conceived and facilitated by young people in commemoration of the 5th Anniversary of the historic United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security. We would like to thank our international partners, Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) and the United Network of Young Peacebuilders (UNOY) for their generosity, and for supporting local action on the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250. We express our gratitude to the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP-Nigeria), African Union Youth, Peace and Security Africa Program for their technical and moral support. Lastly, we thank Gizem Kilinc, Khaled Emam, Eliška Jelínková, leaders of the GPPAC- UNOY working group on youth, peace and security; Allwell Akhigbe and Efetobor Effevottu, co-editors of this project; Kola Ibrahim, who proof read, and every other person who contributed to its success. While we cannot take credit for all content herein, we take full responsibility for the publication. Rafiu Adeniran Lawal Executive Director, Building Blocks for Peace Foundation Connecting and Amplifying Voices of Youth Building Peace | 5 v FOREWORD Nigeria, with a median age of 18, is home to one of the youngest populations in the world. This young population is experiencing wide-spread political, social, and economic exclusion that is exacerbating their collective mistrust in the systems that are supposed to serve, care and protect them. As I pen this note, they are protesting around the country to end police brutality and rampant corruption. Despite the widespread exclusion, young Nigerians have shown time and time again that they can be the best assets for the country. This book showcases a common truth many young activists are driven by--hope, courage, resilience, and deep commitment to peace and justice. This book is filled with concrete evidence of how Nigerian youth are passionately contributing to building peace in local communities across the country despite the few resources they can muster and how these young peacebuilders deploy creative means to reach their peers and create a culture of peace. Organizations like Building Blocks for Peace Foundation are a tremendous source of inspiration to the global #Youth4Peace community as they are shining the light on the positive contributions of young Nigerians. Through all these examples, this book is a clarion call for the Nigerian and international policymakers to ensure they see this growing youth bulge as a peace bulge that needs investments, protection and partnership so that they have a safe space to scale up their peacebuilding work. I urge policy makers and investors to consider this book’s key messages as a source of guidance and inspiration, as we collectively strive toward strengthening more inclusive, fair, just and peaceful societies across Nigeria. Connecting and Amplifying Voices of Youth Building Peace | 6 vi Thank you for amplifying the voices and nonviolent actions of #Youth4Peace in Nigeria. Saji Prelis Director, Children & Youth Programs at Search for Common Ground & Co-Chair, Global Coalition on Youth, Peace & Security Connecting and Amplifying Voices of Youth Building Peace | 7 vii CONTENTS Dedication iii Acknowledgements iv Foreword v Content page vii Introduction: The United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2250 and Youth Peace building in Nigeria Akhigbe, Allwell O. and Effevottu, Efetobor S. 10 Chapter 1: Building Blocks for Peace ‘Care’ Model: A Sustainable Framework for the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda Rafiu Adeniran Lawal and Mark Patrick 26 Chapter 2: Building Capacities for Youth Participation in Peace building through Peace Education in Nigeria Patience Ikpeh-Obaulo, Olufemi Michael E. & Oyindamola Somoye 43 Chapter 3: Development Visual Storytelling: Opportunities and Challenges for Nigerian Young Peacebuilders Lucky Chinwike 59 Chapter 4: Countering and Preventing Violent Extremism in Northeastern Nigeria through Peace Education, Interfaith Dialogue and Sport for Peace Imrana Alhaji Buba and Muhammad Haruna Alhaji 72 Connecting and Amplifying Voices of Youth Building Peace | 8 viii Chapter 5: Towards a Violence-Free Benue: Strides from Angel Support Foundation (ASF) Mary Sewuese Ugbaa 85 Chapter 6: Women Empowerment Programme Of YOUPEDA and World Faith: Building Sustainable Livelihoods for Vulnerable Populations in Nasarawa and Benue States Obi Peters 102 Chapter 7: Media and Peacebuilding in Nigeria: A Case Study of ‘Development Today’ Oladayo Ogunbowale 113 Chapter 8: Peace Education as an Effective Tool for Violence Prevention Moses Abolade and Blessing Dorcas Adekanye 124 Chapter 9: How TAMEB Uses Inter-Religious Activities and Youth Capacity-Building Programmes to Promote Peace in Nigeria Omoyemi Oni and Oborakpororo Ofuya 142 Chapter 10: Promoting Peacebuilding through the Provision of Psycho-Social Support in Nigeria Mojisola Ogundiran 158 Chapter 11: Strengthening Young People’s Participation in Decision- making and Raising a Generation of Youth Leaders in Nigeria Olasupo Abideen 171 Chapter 12: The Talanoa of Mai-Suya Approach for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Mahmood Mohammed Maishanu and Kenneth Offor 182 Connecting and Amplifying Voices of Youth Building Peace | 9 ix Chapter 13: Conflict Prevention and Building Peaceful Communities: Raising Value-Driven and Ethical Youth Joy Godwin 194 Chapter 14: Old Enough to Vote, Not Too Young to Run: Strengthening Youth Participation in Nigeria’s Political Process Efemena Ozugha and Ibrahim Faruk 216 Chapter 15: Youth Engagement on Religious Dialogue and Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria Fatima Madaki and Oghogho Best 230 Chapter 16: Building a Culture of Peace in Nigeria through ‘Teach Peace Early’ and ‘Community Peace Talks’ Precious Ajunwa 241 Chapter 17: The Role of CEPASD Africa in Combating Gender-Based Violence Augustine Igweshi 257 Conclusion: Moving Forward the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda: The Journey from Amman to Nigeria Rafiu Adeniran Lawal 271 Connecting and Amplifying Voices of Youth Building Peace | 10 INTRODUCTION THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION (UNSCR) 2250 AND YOUTH PEACEBUILDING IN NIGERIA Akhigbe, Allwell O. and Effevottu, Efetobor S. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP, 2017) reported that the number of adolescents and young people (between 10 and 24 years old) was roughly 1.8 billion, which represents the highest number in human history. A large percentage of these young people live in developing countries and are faced with numerous challenges such as high rate of unemployment, poor health, HIV/AIDS infections, few marketable skills, and social exclusion. These numbers alone justify the need for youths’ inclusion and active participation in decision making, especially in relation to peacebuilding and development. However, global discourses on young people centre on their involvement in conflicts and violence. In Nigeria specifically, young people are usually regarded as perpetrators and major protagonists in most violent conflicts. They are seen as having little regards for constituted authorities and are incapable of playing positive role in the socio-political and economic development in their various communities and regions. Despite these stereotypes, Nigerian youths have been actively involved in aiding, promoting and maintaining peace and development. Even in remote parts of the country, formal and informal youth groups are always on ground inspiring people to take actions towards finding permanent solutions to society's problems. A major step in ensuring the recognition of the positive role of youths in peacebuilding was taken by the United Nations Security Council in 2015 through the adoption of the Resolution 2250 which Connecting and Amplifying Voices of Youth Building Peace | 11 centred on issues relating to Youth, Peace and Security. The first report by the Secretary-General on Youth, Peace and Security since the Security Council adopted resolution 2250, presented in March 2020, reaffirmed
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