Today is International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, where the world celebrates the power of sport to drive social change and community development, and to foster peace and understanding. Today – like every Saturday – is also a training day for members of Para-football teams driven by our local partner organisation in Northern Nigeria, the Peace Initiative Network (PIN).
The 2019 general elections in Nigeria are set to take place on Saturday 23rd February, after being postponed from the 16th. In the run up to the event, we urge against pessimism and look to signs of hope for the country’s future. Our local peacebuilding partner, Michael Sodipo, was recently interviewed by All Africa magazine, and we echo his thoughts on how young people are our best hope for a peaceful future in Nigeria.
Today marks the first ever UN International Day of Education. The day celebrates the role of education in development and is intended to be a demonstration of the world’s commitment to providing quality education for all. Education is a basic human right. But for young people living in countries affected by conflict, attending school is … Continued
In the city of Kano in northern Nigeria, an area regularly affected by violent conflict, skills training workshops offer young people a better future. We support our local partner, Peace Initiative Network (PIN), to give young people a pathway to peace.
“Despite all the news, all the headlines about the crisis and violence in Nigeria, we will build peace. Peace is possible if all hands are on deck.”
Despite the shocking brutality of violence in Northern Nigeria, there are always those working for peace on the ground. I came away from this Peace Exchange with an increased sense of hope, both for Northern Nigeria and more profoundly for the ability of humans to survive and rebuild even in the midst of violence. Peace Direct releases the first in a series of reports on the views and strategies of local peacebuilders in conflict zones in order to highlight local expertise and capacities for peace. The first focuses on Northern Nigeria.