I was attacked by angered mob! Burning vehicles everywhere. My neighbors were maimed in cold blood. All due to political and religious intolerance. To over 200 people including myself, these narratives were not just imagination but once realities. To over 200 people, these have rendered them helpless. To over 200 people, these have rendered them hopeless.
Eight years back, I was involved in a political turned religious crises that claimed over 200 people in my country Nigeria. On that faithful day with my dad behind the wheels, on coming unto a deserted road we were greeted by a blazing vehicle while some other three have been reduced to ashes. Moving further a bit, I was terrified by the sight of a roaring angry mob coming towards our direction. Within few seconds, they were all around yelling and hitting our vehicle. Had one of them not recognized my dad as his one-time teacher, I mightn't be opportuned to write this story.
On reaching home, another tragedy striked; two of my neighbors were killed in cold blood. My phlegmatic-sanguine temparament couldn't come to terms with the gory happenings. Have they got conscience? Have they lost their sense of humanity? These were the thoughts that kept me up throughout that night.
The journey of my peacebuilding work began when I finally took it upon myself to come up with a sustainable solution that will eliminate violent extremism in my community. There was when I founded Peace Advocate Initiative.
At Peace Advocate Initiative, we maintain peace and tolerance in community youths by building infrastructures for sustainable peace. We organize peace dailouges and created a platform for professional development and peace understanding. With these, I fought bigotry with tolerance; hate with love, and nepotism with inclusivity.
In my community, violent conflicts now has been reduced to the minimal level. Youths now appreciate the differences in their faiths and political ideologies. With Peace Advocate Initiative, we are now building a sustainable national peace in Nigeria.