MWFAAN Champions Grassroots Peacebuilding at Launch of North Central Peace Ownership Movement

…Peace doesn’t start in conference halls, it starts in our homes.

Under the MWFAAN Inter-Cohort Project, the Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Association of Nigeria (MWFAAN) proudly backed the Abuja launch of the North Central Peace Ownership Movement, themed “Peace Begins at Home.”Spearheaded by 2025 Fellow Chief Jennifer Hembafan Alih (ED, Julebrama Women and Children Initiative – JUWACI) alongside co-convener Chief Abdullahi O. Haruna 2017 Fellow (Founder, Open Dialogue Initiative – ODI) and supported by NAHCON, this citizen-led coalition is shifting peacebuilding from sole reliance on the state to active, everyday responsibility.

Key Takeaways from the Convening:Peace is Deliberate: As Chief Jennifer Hembafan Alih shared, “Peace does not mean an absence of grief… peace is deliberate.” Bridging ethnic, religious, and linguistic divides starts with individual action.

The First School of Citizenship: Panelists including Dr. Jummai Ahmadu, Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Jalingo, Dr. Abdulraham Abu Hamisu, Dr. Emmanuel Nathan Oguche, Mallama Fatima Ibrahim Ogohi, and Barrister Benni Alika emphasized resolving domestic conflicts constructively before they spill into communities. Digital Responsibility: Combating misinformation and promoting critical thinking online are essential to preventing local tensions.Systemic and Grassroots Action: Pairing personal responsibility with solutions to structural drivers like poverty, injustice, and resource competition.

As the coalition rolls out its multi-stakeholder advocacy across the North-Central zone, we echo their powerful declaration: “We shall not inherit conflict. We shall inherit and build peace.”