Conflict Prevention and Peace Building Initiative (CPPBI)

Initiated in 2010, but formally registered in 2014 with the Corporate Affairs Commision of Nigeria, Conflict Prevention and Peace Building Initiative (CPPBI) is a Nigerian-based non-governmental, non-profit, non-political and humanitarian organization that is committed to the prevention of violent conflicts in Nigeria and Africa.

CPPBI was founded by Mr. Obuseh Jude, a peace activist, scholar and practitioner, who has been in the forefront of conflict prevention, peacebuilding and other multi-track initiatives that are geared towards the prevention of violent conflicts and the construction of enduring structures of positive peace.

Image credit: CPPBI

Through its five mutually re-enforcing programs – Conflict Tracking and Reporting Program (CTRP), Peace Education and Advocacy Program (PEAP), Security Awareness Program (SAP), Leadership Education Program (LEP) and the Capacity Empowerment Program (CEP) – which focuses on multiple themes across multiple regions, with emphasis on improving institutional capacity, media and information flow, youth identity and security, CPPBI seeks to generate general awareness about the real causes of violent conflicts, and to help explore practical strategies towards checking them.

CPPBI employs interactive methods, such as seminars, workshops, adult literacy programs, family education, publications, fact-finding visits, and local peacebuilding and peacemaking methods, such as informal socio-cultural activities, to reach its target audience. The organization continues to develop its potential to respond to conflict and promote peace.

THEMATIC AREAS

The Conflict Prevention and Peace building activities of CPPBI cover four broad areas of intervention: Equitable Socio-Economic Development, Good Governance, the Reform of Security and Justice Institutions and Truth and Reconciliation Processes - which are subsumed under its five core programs: CTRP, PEAP, SAP, LEP and CEP. Conflict prevention activities share the goal of averting the outbreak of violence. Peace building work focuses on reducing or ending violent conflict and/or promoting a culture of peace. A few examples, amongst many, of activities that are carried out by the organization under its various programs include police training in human rights, bias-reduction education, or a road construction project involving opposing groups. An indicative list of work themes within these four major areas of focus - which are geared towards transforming attitudes, structures, relationships and behaviours - are detailed as follows:

SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Balanced Physical Reconstruction
Sound and Equitable Economic Management
Equitable Distribution of Development Benefits
Gender Equality
Youth Engagement
Equitable Access to Services
Repatriation/Reintegration of Displaced Persons
Sustainable Use of (and equal access to) Natural Resources

GOOD GOVERNANCE

Civil Society Development
Freedom of Expression, Association and the Press
Democratization
Media Development
Power Sharing
Participatory Processes
Job creation
Electoral Processes
Transparency and accountability
Anti-corruption and Good Governance Programs
Human Rights Protection
Rule of Law

REFORM OF JUSTICE AND SECURITY INSTITUTIONS

Security Sector Reform (Police, Military, Intelligence)
Small Arms and Light Weapons Reduction
Non-violent Accompaniment
Community Policing
Provision of Early Warning
Peace keeping
Non-Violent Observers
Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration of Combatants
De-mining

CULTURE OF JUSTICE, TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

Enhancing, Non-violent Dispute Resolution Systems
Dialogue Among Conflicting Groups
Prejudice Reduction or Diversity Training
Trauma Healing
Conflict Resolution Skills Training
Peace Education and Advocacy
Transitional Justice
War Crimes Trials
Reparations

PROJECTS STEERED

The Catch Them Young Initiative

This initiative involves series of series of leadership training programs in schools - primary, secondary and tertiary. These specialised training programs are designed to help the young ones discover their hidden potentials in the early stages of their lives and channel these positive energies towards more productive enterprises.

CPPBI has launched Peace Clubs in some schools in Nigeria. These clubs serve as forums where young minds converge from time to time to cross-fertilize ideas on issues of common interests; activities that are geared towards creating individuals with non-adversarial mindsets. Peer Mediation Seminars/Workshops - and other socio-cultural activities depicting the utilitarian values of nonviolence - where mediation and conflict resolution skills are taught, form the fulcrum of the activities under this initiative.

The initiative has been hugely successful in helping reform disaffected young people who struggle with mainstream education, helping to re-engage and encourage them to become responsible and trustworthy members of the society. Benson Idahosa University and Wellspring University, Bishop Gordon Educational Academy (all in Benin City), Horla Konsult Educational Academy, Ibadan, are among some of the institutions that are currently benefiting from activities under CPPBI's Catch Them Young Initiative in Nigeria.

Democracy and Human Rights Monitoring

CPPBI, through this initiative, has provided leadership, advocacy and guidance on human rights and democracy issues, and has been contributing its quota to the formulation of human rights and democracy policies in Nigeria. The organisation is in the process of commencing the drafting, preparation and publication of its inaugural annual Country Reports on Human Rights practices in Nigeria, and the Supporting Human Rights and Democracy report, which will be a summary of CPPBI's strategies and activities for every calendar year. This report will be expanded to cover the rest of Africa in the future.

In collaboration with other partners and stakeholders in the peace project, CPPBI has developed a communication hub through which the practice of democracy and human rights in Nigeria and other African Countries are monitored and reported. Mainstream media channels, the Internet, research reports, articles, position papers, etc. are some of the outlets through which the organization has been reaching out to its target audience.

Voter Education Clinics

CPPBI's Voter Education Clinics - an arm of its Peace Education and Advocacy Program - are based on the thinking that electoral irregularities - key deficits of democracy in Africa - stems from gross ignorance on the part of the voting public, sheer impunity by the political class and general apathy by others major stakeholders as to what their true roles are/or should be in a democratic process; that the multiple challenges of rigging, ballot box snatching, intimidation, violence, financial inducements and other bulwarks against the holding of peaceful, free, fair and acceptable electoral contests are due largely to ignorance on the part of voters about their crucial roles in the democratic process.

The organisation has been a contributor to the awareness campaigns that have helped in positively transforming some stereotyped beliefs that the electoral processes in Nigeria are the preserve of the ruling class; ideas that have created an apathetic mindset among Nigerians. The painstaking efforts of CPPBI through its Voter Education Programs, in conjunction with those efforts of other key stakeholders, has positively influenced the commendable improvements in the outcomes of recent polls in Nigeria.

Peace Journalism Workshops and Seminars

The Peace Journalism Seminars/Workshops series - a sub unit of its Peace Education and Advocacy Program - is CPPBI's attempt to engender the practice of peace Journalism. It is based on the recognition of the significant role the media plays as either an agent of peace or instrument of discord. The organisation views the 1994 Rwanda Genocide as a classic case of the deleterious consequences of the uncontrolled use of the media in Africa.

Towards achieving its stated goal of complementing the efforts of other joint stakeholders in preventing the eruption of violent conflicts - or checking its spread - in Africa, CPPBI has organized Peace Journalism interfaces for some media organizations in Nigeria. The staff of The Nigerian Observer Newspapers, Ika Weekly, The Pointer Newspapers and other media organisations in Nigeria have been beneficiaries of these programs.

Early Warning Services

CPPBI's Early Warning Services - a unit of its Conflict Tracking and Reporting Program - is a violence-tracking project that is designed to swap information on possible flash points with relevant stakeholder groups across government, security agencies, civil society and the donor community; a communication hub that facilitates information flow, rapidly stimulating stakeholders to intervene; a mechanism that is utilized for tracking and reporting the signs of violent conflicts, with a view to suggesting possible entry points for preventive action by stakeholders.

Making copious use of Media Reports, Research Findings, Existing Literature, Security Reports, Personal Contacts, Telephone Calls, Questionnaires and other information gathering tools, CPPBI has packaged quality data on conflict trends and made its findings available to end users.

Facilitating Inter-Religious Dialogue

Fostering Inter religious harmony, through dialogue, has been one of the main thrusts of CPPBI's activities over the years. This is in recognition of the significant roles religion plays in determining the level of peace and stability a society enjoys. The organization has been facilitating dialogue among key religious organizations and stakeholders - especially the chief religions: Christianity, Islam and Traditional - in its efforts at engendering greater cooperation, harmony, tolerance and peaceful problem solving among the adherents of these religions.

Other projects not listed have either been completed, or are ongoing.

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