Movers & shakers, dreamers & peacemakers, this one’s for you.
Here at Invisible Children we believe that the young people have the opportunity to end the wrongs of the past in order to demand a better future. We stand alongside our Millennial cohort across the world to say no to inequality, violence, and prejudice because want a better world then the one we’ve inherited.
Right now there are violent conflicts devastating central African countries. Both South Sudan and Central African Republic have been divided down social lines resulting in brutal civil wars and mass atrocities. Recently we’ve seen the tragic kidnapping of nearly 300 girls and young women from Nigeria, as Boko Haram continues to terrorize innocent civilians.
However, these differences aren’t inherent and changing them can start with young people.
Search For Common Ground (SFCG) is a NGO that works with populations internationally, using dialogue, media, and community to overcome conflict. They’ve been working in Nigeria to foster understanding and reconciliation between the Muslim and Christian communities that have historically inflicted violence on one another. In response, SFCG developed a project called Naija Girls:
“Naija Girls camp creates a space for Muslim and Christian girls to form a community and develop a voice so that they can return to their homes and advocate for peace together, strengthening the probability that the next generation of Nigerians will not carry out the cycles of violence seen in Nigeria today”
While this project was developed prior to the kidnapping in Chibok that sparked international outrage (#BringBackOurGirls), it addresses many of the deep seeded issues that face not only Nigeria, but many populations across the world that suffer because of cultural prejudice and persecution.
This video, produced by SFCG, features two of the young women who attended Naija Girls Camp. We are so inspired by this project and the young women who are brave enough to break the cycle of violence and advocate for peace in their communities we had to share it with you: Our fellow peacemakers.
(CAUTION: this video contains some graphic content)
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