COFP Fellowship Program: From Dialogue to Action
Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation for Peace (COFP) began the long awaited COFP Fellowship Program at last in July 2018, the first of its kind in Nigeria and West Africa. The purpose of embarking on a Fellowship Program by the Foundation is to effectively empower religious leaders and community actors with skills on countering all forms of violent conflict. By engaging men, women and youth in an inclusive and participatory tailored learning through the Fellowship program, we spark dialogue around religious and social issues and inspire citizens to be proactive in innovating & co-creating practical actions for peace. Advancing peacebuilding efforts through this process builds the capacity of grassroots leaders as actors in social cohesion, integration and peacebuilding. COFP Foundation believes that citizens especially, faith communities are best positioned to tackle issues of violent religious extremism as well as build relations.
The COFP Fellowship Program is a one-year program that is subdivided into three components or modules. It brings together 35 – 50 key religious leaders & community actors annually to explore cross cultural and religious learning, share experiences/opinions and come up with solutions that creates authentic results and sustainable impacts for peace. Becoming a COFP Fellow requires that Fellows will emerge from 150 credit hours of study in Interreligious Dialogue, Conflict Transformation and Mediation prepared to advance peacebuilding in their communities.
The COFP Fellows receive University Certificates in “Interreligious Dialogue, Conflict Transformation, and Mediation” upon completing the one-year Fellowship Program. This program serves as a platform for carefully reflecting and examining peacebuilding experiences, emphasizing conflict management, dialogue negotiation, mediation, and reconciliation as essential elements for building sustainable peace and resilience. Supported by funding from the Conrad Hilton Foundation (CHF), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and COFP Foundation, we are committed to using this platform as an avenue for providing informative, interactive, educational, and networking opportunities for Fellows from diverse backgrounds in Nigeria and Africa.
COFP is collaborating with diverse partners and stakeholders in the implementation of its program. Our key primary partners include the Catholic University of Nigeria Abuja – VUNA, Nile University of Nigeria – NUN, Institute for Peace & Conflict Resolution – IPCR, Islamic Education Trust – IET among others.
