Peace Initiative Network (PIN), a non profit organization based in Kano, Nigeria. Its mission is to prevent and manage violent conflict through advocacy and awareness-raising campaigns. Founded in 2004, with the goal of promoting peace and development in Nigeria. Peace Initiative Network (PIN) is an organization with Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 2019

PIN regularly organises and hosts seminars, workshops and sport events. It aims to:

• Promote interaction between stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds, in order to help strengthen a peaceful society in Nigeria.
• Organise sport events as a tool to develop friendships among young people from different ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds.
• Improve young people’s leadership, problem solving and critical thinking skills to give them the opportunity to become responsible future leaders.

Main objectives

1. To promote the cause of Nigerian unity and nation building.
2. To encourage international cooperation and collaboration to achieve peaceful coexistence.
3. To use new information and communications technology to fight globally against all sorts of political violence and terrorism.
4. To promote peace, conflict resolution and harmony through participatory research, training and voluntary humanitarian services.
5. To regularly organise public lectures, seminars, workshops, and conferences on conflict resolution and peace.
6. To establish an Institute for Peace Studies.
7. To advocate for the inclusion of Peace Studies in school curriculum at all level of education in Nigeria.

Major achievements

PIN has actively contributed to raising awareness of the use of non-violent strategies as a proactive tool and response to conflict, through peace education and sport programmes. These programmes are designed for young people in and out of school in communities in northern Nigeria, and they promote harmony and the peaceful coexistence of people from different backgrounds.

Success story: the Peace Club project for young people

The general principle of the Peace Club is to bring about a change in awareness and patterns of thought that will lead to a change in the behaviour of young people. This will result in a way of living where the values of mutual respect, fairness, teamwork, discipline and tolerance for others will become a reality, and a society that regards peace as a state of mind, a chosen value, a norm and a way of life. Currently, the Peace Club has more than 8,000 members in 60 schools and colleges in four states in Nigeria (Kano, Gombe, Plateau and Kaduna).

Other successful projects

• Advocacy events for policy makers and religious and community leaders.
• Global School Partnership – a programme run by British Council/DFID.
• Peace Through Sports – football tournaments for children and youth clubs in Kano, Nigeria.
• Civic Education Programme for Civil Society Organisations in Northern Nigeria.