Young Peacebuilders in West Africa

An online platform was created for exchange and learning among participants, supporting participants to come better prepared to the workshop: the network had started forming and collaborating, and the group had basic common references for some key terms and concepts.

Participants were encouraged to start getting to know each other and the programme team in order to foster a positive learning environment and create linkages among the group before meeting in person. They were presented with content and were also challenged to contribute to this content and its understanding by sharing their own experience and exchanging ideas with each other. The participant-friendly methodology kept participants motivated and engaged and connected the content to their own life and experience.

The workshop for 20 participants from West Africa was held at the Hawthorn Suites Hotel in Abuja, Nigeria, from November 20-26, 2016. The overall aim of the workshop was to consolidate and leverage the learning from the online phase of the programme and use it as a basis for deepening reflection and skills acquisition in the field of peacebuilding, intercultural dialogue and conflict transformation.

Methodology: Experiential learning, using games and interactive methods as a basis to introduce the topics. Each activity was debriefed to stimulate reflection and encourage participants to make sense of the experience, introduce or review concepts, tools and frameworks, and draw conclusions to inform future action.

Main outcomes: Consolidation of the network and creation of personal action plans in which participants outlined specific actions they would take in the following months. Participants were empowered to translate the learning into specific actions that can benefit their organizations and advance intercultural dialogue and peacebuilding in their communities, thus increasing their contribution as agents of peace.

“This training has really showed me how one-on-one interactions and personal connections can really make strong impact in somebody’s worldview and mindset. I’m going to teach 50 adolescent girls in Lagos to use theater to communicate to fellow students about intercultural and interreligious coexistence.” (Olaoluwa Abagun, Founder and Executive Director of Girl Pride Circle, Lagos, Nigeria, an NGO that advocates for girls’ rights and empowers girls with leadership and advocacy skills.)

Each participant of the programme developed a personal action plan in Abuja and in the months following the workshop, they were challenged to make it come to life. Participants were encouraged to reinforce and integrate the learning through concrete practice, and to multiply the messages and benefits of their intercultural learning experience.

Together, the group reached more than 800 additional persons by organizing step-down trainings in their own organizations, sharing sessions and workshops with schools, colleges and universities, participating in radio talk shows, creating poetry videos and facilitating peace drawing campaigns and theatre plays in schools. These actions were undertaken individually or in collaboration with other members of the YPWA group.

The phase was also intended to encourage a sense of accomplishment, by empowering participants to translate the learning into specific actions that can benefit their organizations and advance intercultural dialogue and peacebuilding in their communities, thus increasing their contribution as agents of peace.

“I’m now back at school, as a final year student in my hall of residence. Issues are always brought to me to decide who was right or wrong; who should be punished or not. The tools I learnt in peacebuilding have just been so useful. I cannot overemphasize how timely the training was, as it has equipped me for a time like this.” (Praise, Nigeria)

“I used to explain whatever I’ve to explain like I’m holding a speech. After this holistic learning with the YPWA programme, I adopted this new method to discuss with my fellows and exchange ideas instead of trying to give all the answers by myself. And sincerely, it worked.” (Mamadou, Guinea)