The Northern Nigeria Peace Exchange, organized and hosted by Peace Direct, a London charity which supports local peacebuilders worldwide, in collaboration with the Peace Initiative Network (PIN), brought together a diverse group of 17 civil society organizations from across Northern Nigeria, all of whom share a strong commitment to conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Regional Coordinator Emmanuel Ivorgba, attended as a representative of URI West Africa. The Peace Exchange took place at the Badala Hotel in Kano, Nigeria, from July 12-14, 2016.
The purpose of the Nigeria Peace Exchange was:
- To enable local organizations in Northern Nigeria to connect with one another, share information and strategies, and explore collaborations for better coordination to tackle roots of violence and mass atrocities and promote peacebuilding in Northern Nigeria.
- To collaborate on joint analysis of conflict issues in Northern Nigeria. The joint analysis will be published and presented to key national and international stakeholders to demonstrate locally-led analysis and solutions to issues affecting the region.
Participating organizations collaborated in a joint analysis of conflict issues in Northern Nigeria. This included an in-depth research and conflict analysis before the start of the Peace Exchange. Attendees also completed short surveys with at least 25 beneficiaries of their interventions within the communities where they work. The findings of this initial research from all participating organizations played a critical role in the Peace Exchange discussions.
The Peace Exchange facilitated the sharing of knowledge, while also providing a forum for discussion and identifying the challenges and obstacles which NGOs/CSOs encounter in their work, the ways in which they can support and help each other, and how best the international community can support local peacebuilding efforts
