Overview

What Every Citizen Can Do Peace is not built by governments alone. It is built by ordinary people making daily choices to choose dialogue over anger, tolerance over fear, and community over conflict. It is tempting, when we look at the scale of Northern Nigeria's challenges, to feel helpless. The problems seem too big, too deeply rooted, too much the result of powerful forces beyond ordinary people's control. But this feeling of helplessness is itself part of the problem. It is precisely the attitude that allows bad leaders to continue doing what they do, because ordinary people have decided that nothing they do can make a difference. This is not true. Every significant social change in history has been driven not primarily by government action but by changes in what ordinary people believe, say, and do. And every person reading these words is an ordinary person with more power than they know. In Your Daily Life Speak up against hate: When you hear a dehumanizing statement about another ethnic or religious group - whether in casual conversation, on social media, or in a mosque or church - push back. You don't have to be aggressive or confrontational. But do not let such statements pass unchallenged. Silence is consent. Build relationships across boundaries: Look for ways to build or strengthen personal relationships with people from communities different from your own. These relationships are the single most powerful antidote to the fear and suspicion that extremists exploit. When you know someone personally, you cannot easily be persuaded that all members of their community are your enemies. Resist and fact-check disinformation: In an era of social media disinformation, the most important thing any citizen can do is refuse to share inflammatory content before checking whether it is true. Many ethnic and religious conflicts have been ignited or worsened by false stories shared on WhatsApp. Verify before you share. In Your Community Support existing peace initiatives: If your community has a peace committee, a women's group working on conflict, or an interfaith dialogue initiative - support it. Attend meetings. Contribute resources. Help sustain it through the periods of calm when people are tempted to think the work is no longer necessary. Include the vulnerable: The almajiri students, the unemployed youth, the displaced families in your community are not threats. They are your neighbors in need. Communities that include and support their most vulnerable members are far more resilient than communities that exclude and neglect them. Advocate for peaceful conflict resolution: When conflicts arise - over land, water, markets, or personal grievances - advocate for peaceful, mediated resolution through recognized community channels, rather than immediate retaliation. Violence begets violence. Every cycle of retaliation makes the next round harder to stop. In Your Politics Demand accountability, not identity: Do not vote for candidates based on their religion or ethnicity alone. Ask what they have done. Ask what they plan to do. Ask who they are accountable to. A Muslim who misuses public office hurts his Muslim constituents far more than any Christian rival. A Christian who governs corruptly hurts his Christian community. Hold your leaders to the standard of the Golden Rule. Reject divisive politics: Be skeptical of any politician who tells you that your community's problems are caused by another community, and that you should support them in fighting that other community. This is the oldest trick in the political manipulation playbook. Ask: what has this person done for my community with the power they already have?

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