Support Youth to build Peace in Nigeria

Guided by the principle that youth are key actors to achieve peace, UNAOC develops educational programming to enhance the ability of young people and their organizations to foster mutual respect, understanding and long-term positive relationships between peoples of different cultures and religions.

The Young Peacebuilders programme will engage young women and young men from West Africa in an intercultural dialogue and peacebuilding experience.

The aim is to support the growth of networks of young peacebuilders who are equipped with the tools to address stereotypes, prejudice and polarization in order to build more inclusive and peaceful societies in their communities and globally.

20 selected participants will learn and collaborate online and in-person during 12 weeks – from October to December 2016.

Participants will interact online through a series of facilitated modules and in-person during a one-week workshop in Abuja, Nigeria (November 20-26).

In order to participate, applicants must commit to completing all phases of the programme, outlined below. Online involvement is part-time, while the workshop is a full time, one-week experience.

During the programme, participants will:

• Learn about other cultures, faiths and worldviews within and beyond the group to foster intercultural cohesion and collaboration;
• Learn about stereotypes and how to critically analyze them to reduce their prevalence;
• Understand different perspectives in identity-based conflict and gain tools to develop solutions at local, national and regional level and transform conflicts peacefully;
• Develop competences to use different forms of media or expressive arts as a way to create alternative narratives, reduce polarization and promote social inclusion.

Programme components:

• Part 1: online phase (6 weeks). Participants access the course through an online collaborative platform provided by UNAOC. UNAOC and other trainers facilitate the first few modules of the curriculum, giving an opportunity to participants to get to know each other prior to their first in-person meeting. They also start getting exposed to tools and concepts, engage in discussion and start reflecting on their individual and joint action. Time commitment: 2 to 3 hours per week to complete the modules (some work can be completed off-line).
• Part 2: one-week face-to-face workshop. All participants travel to Abuja, Nigeria to complete modules and field visits with trainers and facilitators. They also work together on the development of the group final products and their own action plans. Time commitment: one week (5 working days + 2 travel days for arrival and departure).
• Part 3: online follow-up phase (4 weeks). Participants stay connected through the online platform, improve their final products and report on the implementation of their action plans. Each participant must commit to complete three follow up actions in the months following the workshop. This part consolidates the network and follow-up mechanisms, ensuring the members of the group continue to support each other after the programme.