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NERI Project

Utilizing Alternative to Violence Project (AVP) and Peace-building for Countering Violent Extremism

Location

Mubi North, Mubi South, Michika and Madagali LGAs, Adamawa State

Duration

May – July 2018

Funded By

NERI (Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project)

Grant Number

ADM 103

Project Description

While the youths have comprised the bulk of recruits to violent extremist groups, they are also disproportionately affected by violent extremism. Boko Haram in Nigeria has capitalized on grievances of deprivation, disenfranchisement, and lack of opportunity to offer the illusion of solutions, all while sowing discord and further violence.

The intensity of the Boko Haram's capability of terror strikes is aided by the poorly coordinated Early Warning Monitoring and Response mechanisms by communities, leaving room for devastation and likely expansion of extremist ideas and activities as well as mistrust and lack of confidence between the various tribes and religious groups that had coexisted peacefully in the past.

To this effect, CCAPAD in collaboration with NERI carried out interventions in 8 communities of Mubi North, Mubi South, Michika and Madagali LGAs of Adamawa State, in the areas of Grassroots capacity development on Peacebuilding and Alternative to Violence Project (AVP) to counter violent extremism (CVE).

Project Objectives

The objectives of the project were to:

  • Facilitate a three phase training in alternative to violence project for 200 multi stakeholders from eight 8 target communities in Mubi North, Mubi South, Michika and Madagali LGAs
  • Strengthen the capacity of these stakeholders to coordinate on community specific CVE activities

Project Milestones

The project had five milestones which were agreed with NERI state programme team:

  • Milestone 1: Selection criteria agreed with NERI state programme team
  • Milestone 2: Advocacies to multi stakeholders and Mobilization in the target communities
  • Milestone 3: Three Phases of Training on Alternative to Violence in Mubi North, Mubi South, Michika, Madagali
  • Milestone 4: Training on Peace Building in Mubi North, Mubi South, Michika, Madagali
  • Milestone 5: Peace Rally and Activity Completion

Advocacy Visits

To facilitate the implementation of the project, CCAPAD carried out advocacy visits to key stakeholders in Mubi North, Mubi South, Madagali and Michika between May 26th to May 30th, 2018. The visits were made to:

  • Chairmen of the various local government
  • Chief of Staff to the various Local Government Council
  • Youth groups
  • Chairman Muslim council
  • Chairman Christian Association of Nigeria
  • Women groups
  • Commander Vigilante Group of Nigeria
  • Staff Office, Local Government Council

The advocacy visits paved the way for community buy-in of the project and made subsequent engagements effective. All stakeholders visited were met and supports, pledges, buy-in and commitments were secured.

Stakeholder Feedback During Advocacy

"We appreciated how the organization included the two religious umbrella bodies as community stakeholders and a religious institution, we welcome this initiative and will give its support."

— Rev. Bitrus Bewetri, representative of CAN Mubi North

"We expressed his gratitude for considering his LGA on a very important project like that of Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) adding that it could never have come at any better time that now."

— Chairman Mubi South LGA

"Our major challenge here is our culture of silence, which is not helping us as a community. We hope that this training will helps to overcome as such challenges so that can give early warning signs."

— Rev. Daniel Gaskiya from Bazza community

Alternative to Violence Project (AVP) Training

CCAPAD organized and implemented a four-day Alternative to Violence Project (AVP) Training from 20th to 28th June 2018, for community stakeholders of Mubi North, Mubi South, Michika and Madagali LGAs.

The training brought together one hundred and ninety-six (196) participants: one hundred and forty-eight (148) males and forty-four (44) females. The participants came from the Local Government Councils, Muslim Council, Christian Association of Nigeria, Women groups, Youth groups, the Traditional Council and Security.

Topics Covered

  • Affirmation
  • Communication
  • Community Trust Building
  • Conflict Transformation
  • Understanding conflict, escalation and de-escalation
  • Introduction to transforming power (TP)
  • Cooperation and role play exercises

Attendance Across LGAs

  • Mubi North: 50 participants (35 males, 15 females)
  • Mubi South: 50 participants (40 males, 10 females)
  • Michika: 46 participants (34 males, 12 females)
  • Madagali: 46 participants (39 males, 7 females)

Peace Building Training

The Centre for Community Actions for Peace and Development planned and implemented Peace-building workshops for community stakeholders in the target communities. The training brought together 196 participants (148 males and 44 females).

Topics Covered

  • Understanding conflict and conflict analysis
  • Skills for peacebuilding
  • Connector and divisor
  • Gender and peacebuilding
  • Mapping tool and conflict layer
  • Connectors and dividers of peace and conflict in local communities
  • Resolving conflict

The Peace Rally

The overall objectives of this activity were to create awareness on the importance of peacebuilding and Personal Transformation (AVP) as tools of preventing violent extremism and ideologies in vulnerable communities of Adamawa State, Nigeria.

The peace rallies consisted of more than 200 participants from the project implementation communities. Across the communities, the walk began at 8:30am from the various venues of the workshops with participants trekking through strategic public points and terminating at homes and palaces of selected district heads across the four local government areas.

Accompanied by Security and joined by local spectators and admirers, at least more than 200 people took part in the carefully organized walk, distributing and waving Peace campaign posters with captions like 'We are for peace', 'working for peace together saying no to extremism and terrorism' and 'working towards a violent free community'.

Feedback During the Rally

"The level of expertise and coordination demonstrated at the rally is one of its kind and worth emulating by others. CCAPAD should expand the outreach of the project beyond the current local government areas for more people to benefit."

— District Head of Mubi, Magajin Gari, Mubi North

"People should not allow themselves to be used as agents of destruction by the Boko Haram sect and other evil minded groups. This project could never have come at any better time than now."

— District Head, Jauro Ishaku Baffa, Mubi South

Key Findings

  • Though across the 4 LGAs, the two umbrella bodies of CAN and the Muslim Council have a long history of mutual understanding in Mubi North and Mubi South, some level of mistrust and lack of confidence has been observed in Madagali and Michika
  • There is a visible presence of Informal EWER structures in the community, anchored by the Vigilante and the Hunters Associations, though they are inexperienced on the technical aspect of security provision
  • Generally, perceived Injustice in the system has been the contributing factor to the violent ideologies in the communities
  • Series of Early Warning signs prior to the advent of the Boko Haram insurgency were ignored by the people and authorities
  • The Boko Haram insurgency had left deep trauma and abject poverty, with people taking refuge in criminalities
  • Drug abuse and HIV/AIDS are steadily increasing and need serious interventions

Challenges

  • The presence of women was not strongly felt in the training because the ones in attendance were mostly shy and timid
  • Higher number of participants turned out for the training but had to be thoroughly screened and reduced
  • The instability of electricity in some training areas forced resort to generators
  • The existing curfew in some parts of Madagali affected the opening and closing time of the training
  • Some participants could not read or write, hindering effective participation
  • Despite several appeals, the participation of women was very poor due to power imbalance

Lessons Learnt

  • Articulate community engagements that involve the grassroots and beneficiaries as critical stakeholders during planning becomes very easy to implement
  • Adoption of Community Participatory Adult learning methodology during trainings helped in enlightenment and receipt of feedbacks
  • It is important to start changes within the system to advocate for women rights to create opportunities for gender equality
  • Psychological support for people affected by the Boko Haram insurgency is lacking and more emphasis needs to be put on it

Recommendations

  • Owing to the high importance of the programme, the need to scale up the training to other vulnerable communities has been identified
  • A specific training need on Trauma Healing is identified as many people are still traumatized from their experiences with Boko Haram
  • This Peacebuilding model should be extended to schools to maximize impact on young minds
  • An extended Interfaith dialogue should be organized to wider groups outreach
  • Skills acquisition and empowerment programmes should be approved so that youths, women and other vulnerable groups can be supported to be resilient to financial inducement to crimes