COFP Newsletter
Summer Update
(January – June, 2024)
2023/2024 COFP Fellows’ Community Peace Work and Success Stories
Learning is definitely incomplete without opportunities to apply knowledge from the classroom to practical life situations. This principle underpins the annual peace projects undertaken by COFP Fellows in their communities after their second module. Supported by a seed grant from the Foundation during their school year, the Fellows implement peace and human development initiatives in various communities, enhancing a culture of peace. The 2023/2024 set executed their peace projects between December 2023 and February 2024.
Here are some remarkable reports from their fields:
When people of faith understand their shared heritage and find common ground, religious rivalry will be gone and mutual trust and peaceful coexistence will be most extoled. This was what inspired Isah Abdulrasheed Zubairu from Sokoto State Nigeria as he set out to achieve this dream through his one-day workshop organized for 30 participants across religious divides as well as his Peace message on radio and Television with the theme: Bridging Faith: Exploring common Grounds between Christianity and Islam. With over 2million listeners and viewers in Sokoto state and beyond, new knowledge, understanding and respect for people of different religious beliefs and affiliations were gained and this enhanced shared values across different religious traditions. “It was a unique experience to gather people from Islam and Christian faiths in a Muslim dominated area like Sokoto State. This program opened the eyes of the people on the need to live in peace with one another. A ground work has been laid for continuous peaceful co-existence among Sokoto communities”. Said Isah.
With the goal of promoting peaceful coexistence among the women of Takum in Taraba State, Loveline Ziseng Nyetalem organized a capacity building two-day project on January 4, 2024, for 30 participants. This initiative empowered 20 women with skills in tailoring, pastry making, seedlings and poultry farming, enabling them to start businesses in the areas of their interest. The project not only brought immense joy to the participants but also instilled a sense of hope for a brighter future through the benevolent intervention of the Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation for Peace. Today, the beneficiaries now have a sustainable source of livelihood and a promising future ahead of them.
When true knowledge comes it transcends religious and social divides and this was proven when a Christian and Muslim Fellows from Kenya implemented a Joint project in their community at Nyali Constituency, Mombasa County province of Kenya in February, 2024. To address issues affecting youth, women, teachers, religious leaders, and citizens in their locality, Bowen Maria and Roble Sureya invited religious, political, educational and community leaders and school children for an interfaith peace workshop on, Dialogue on Peaceful Co-existence in a Pluralistic Society. The two-day transformative workshop builds the capacity of 130 participants on the need for awareness and knowledge about the risks and causes of violent extremism especially among children and the roles of the adults in addressing such violence. Focused on combating violent extremism, participants explored its root causes among vulnerable school children. Teachers and faith leaders engaged in dynamic sessions and discussions, fostering a unified stance for peace and tolerance. A platform was created for ongoing exchange of ideas and insights. Attendees acquired the capability to detect early signs and behavioral changes in children and youth. The workshop concluded with a very engaging dialogue forum, where valuable insights were exchanged, solidifying a collective effort against extremism and illuminating a path towards regional harmony.
Hamza Sumaye Fadimatu’s project in Dadin Kowa and Hwoishe, Plateau State, trained 20 teachers from Yedi and Obasanjo Model schools on instilling peace in children in January 2024. The program engaged 150 children with peace-themed songs, rhymes, and quizzes, with all four schools achieving 100% attendance. The children were crowned Peace Ambassadors, which greatly inspired them. To sustain the initiative, the schools agreed to establish Peace Clubs. The project also received valuable endorsements from religious and traditional leaders in the community as the Plateau State government, through the Director General of the Plateau State Peacebuilding Agency, expressed interest in replicating the program in other zones and schools in the state.
“My time in the COFP Fellowship has been truly incredible! I joined not long after losing my husband, and being part of this community has been a source of solace for me said Florence Obed Dada.” With this conviction and transformation from the Fellowship program, Florence gave back to her community by empowering poor widows and women through vocational skills acquisition program. Her project on Interfaith Skills Acquisition and Empowerment of Women in Tunga-Sauka Community of Minna, trained and empowered 30 Muslim and Christian women to acquire entrepreneurial skills on Liquid soap and shower gel production. Additionally, start-up kits provided along with business management classes held made a whole lot of difference as it helped to boost their new business. The beneficiaries expressed their joy and commitment towards enhancing and sustaining their new businesses which they believe will transform their lives and families for good.
Below are some of the feedbacks from some of the participants who attended a three-day 26-29 March 2024 peacebuilding workshop organized by Daret Paul Timothy in Magumeri town, Magumeri LGA of Borno state.
1. The grouping of participants to identify ideas that promote and demote peace in my community is an eye opener for me towards ideas that enhance peacebuilding in my community, the workshop is context specific and came at the right time, I sincerely appreciate this knowledge and look forward to promoting peaceful coexistence in my community-Hamsatu Sadiq JDPC Community Mobilizer
2. This workshop on peacebuilding, has strengthen my capacity on forgiveness, engaging religious scholars on the role of youths on de-radicalization is impactful, considering majority of the society population are youths, I appeal for a more similar capacity strengthening to our youths here in Magumeri, it will go a long way in promoting peaceful coexistence-Bulama Malumta Modu Kolo-Ward Head, Islamiyya Community, Magumeri LGA.
