In Jos, Plateau State north central Nigeria, young peacebuilders gathered with purpose; they shared stories, ideas, and hopes during a transformative training on the Common Ground Approach to Religious Engagement, a key milestone under the I-RENEW project.
Drawn from the Plateau Youth Interfaith Forum and interfaith cohorts from both Kaduna and Plateau States, these youth leaders are uniting around a shared vision, a Nigeria where freedom of religion or belief is protected, and peaceful coexistence is more than a dream.
From the very first session, participants were invited to reflect deeply. A powerful identity flower activity helped them explore their personal values, faith journeys, and roles in shaping peaceful communities. Guided by experienced facilitators, they dove into meaningful conversations around religion and conflict, and how empathy and trust can become powerful tools for healing.
Together, they uncovered how hate speech thrives, both online and offline and how to dismantle it with courage and clarity. They examined how gender shapes experiences of freedom of thought, conscience, and belief, and listened closely to one another, not just to respond, but to understand.
As this phase of the training ends, their journey continues. They now step into two days of learning on Early Warning and Early Response gaining skills to spot the signs of rising tension and respond before harm is done.
In Jos, Plateau State NorthCentral, a new generation is being equipped not just with knowledge about freedom of religion or belief, but with conviction to accept people of different faiths and beliefs. And in their hands, the future of interfaith peacebuilding shines brighter.
