Nigeria - Using soccer diplomacy for peace building

Youth for healthy community initiative (Y4HCI) in Nigeria - Sustainable local responses to community conflict management/transformation, using soccer diplomacy for peace building prevention of violent behaviour and promotion of community conflict Resolutions.

Implementing organisations: Inclusive community, Education and Development association (ICEADA) – www.icrada.org

Background/context:

• • Violent behaviours are opportunities for and threats of recruitment in terror groups

  • Community leaders and older adults increasingly worried/concern about youth restiveness ;

  • Minimal/positive inter-generational interactions based on existing/conventional community platforms and cafe spaces

  • Recognition that the youths have important roles to play in peace building and sustainable community development

  • Recognition of the need for mutual support and cooperation between the youth, older adults and community leaders to address common concerns and dev. Issues

  • Community visioning about their community – A healthy community

CLCP/SALT Lens

• • Community ownership of challenge;

  • Community learning from experience;

  • Appreciating need to act; Community-driven response;

  • Trusting the possibilities of community actors and involvement in the response;

  • Community agree on a mental and practical image of a healthy community;

  • Starting from what they know, appreciate, have and able to work with.

A healthy community is:

• • Peaceful and gender-friendly

  • Peace

  • Tolerance

  • Mutual understanding

  • Respect for community values

  • Community governance

  • Sustainable Livelihoods

  • Learning opportunities

  • Security of life and property and sustainable community development

Results

• • Increased engagement of communities in peacebuilding, prevention of violent behaviours and promotion of community conflict resolution;

  • Capacity of youth and older adults build on PB, PVV and CCR;

  • Increased sense of identification with community safe spaces serving as safety forums and peace builders;

  • Increased communications among youth and between the youth and parents, elders, community/religious/leaders as well as security agencies;

  • Adolescent girls and women as well as male youth involved with drug and substance abuse reunited for counseling and skill acquisition to reduce vulnerability to violent behaviours.

Data on the project

• • 16 communities in Kono state -Nigeria

  • 800 young persons trained/coached/mentored on life skills peace building, conflict resolution,soccer valves for peace and SCD;

  • 800 [480 males, 320 females) now involved with community peace building and peace ambassors (PA)

  • 4000 community members including older adults supported by the PA’s now volunteering as Peace Champions (PC) in their communities.

  • 49% of older adults now recognises value of youth soccer safe space;

  • 35% of older adults have agreed to collaborate and engage the youths in decisions about peace building, CR, PVB;

  • 29% of older adults have agreed to be involved in supervising adolescent activities towards preventing involvement in violent behaviours

  • Soccer competitions promoting peaceful coexistence among and between communities Spectacular spectatorship witnessed in all soccer events over 25,000 have watched the event so far

  • Youth soccer clubs affectively used to engage in CD activities