PEACEBUILDING

Updated on June 30, 2026
by jdphfadmin

Peacebuilding has become an essential part of our daily lives. Globally, we have experienced countless violent conflicts that have been in existence from generation to generation. Nigeria today is currently facing countless challenges tied to issues of insecurity, development, governance, unemployment, poverty, and conflict, which have affected and will continue to affect structures of social cohesion. In northeastern Nigeria, the underlining challenges are terrorism and insurgency. In the northwest, they experience issues of banditry, kidnapping, pastoralists, and farmer conflict. In north central Nigeria, some of the challenges experienced include insurgency, pastoralist and farmer conflicts, religious and ethnic conflict, while the south has militants and the south east has IPOB and other forms of regional agitation. This has hugely affected the economic and social activities of the regions negatively. Most of these regions have experienced communal conflict, political conflict and ethnic and religious violence that has in most cases led to destructive acts, including the loss of lives and property

Peacebuilding seeks to address the underlying causes of conflict, helping people resolve their differences peacefully and laying the foundations to prevent future violence. Peacebuilding is the development of constructive personal groups and relationships across ethnic, religious, political, class, national, and racial boundaries; it transforms the structural conditions that generate deadly conflict. Peacebuilding is an enabler of development, security, social and economic justice, and reconciliation.

The JDPH Peacebuilding Unit mostly uses a community peacebuilding approach that aims at developing trust, harmony, safety, and enhancing social cohesion within and between communities to strengthen the social and cultural capacities, resolve disputes and conflict, and promote inter-ethnic, intergroup interaction and dialogue.

MAY 2022

Training on conflict and disaster risk management in Yobe State.

August, 2022

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) training in Yobe State, Nigeria’s Dugum LGA.

February, 2023

As part of our efforts in contributing to building peaceful and cohesive communities, JDPH, with support from her partner, trained key community stakeholders in North East Nigeria on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms aimed at enhancing their skills & capacity towards peaceful alternative approaches and traditional ways of resolving the dispute without recourse to legal court.

The trained beneficiaries are taken through processes that allow them to appreciate the importance of ADR, which, among other things, enables parties in a dispute to work together to resolve their differences, enables them to improve communication and cooperation, and breaks down walls of division, thereby strengthening cohesive structures in their communities.

February, 2023

The Peacebuilding Unit of JDPH has continued to empower the community to resolve conflicts through alternative dispute resolution in Borno State, Nigeria

November, 2023

We are grateful to our partner, KerkinActie, for helping to increase the promotion of peaceful coexistence in our communities by helping to instill peaceful virtues in schoolchildren.

January, 2025

Community members from Fika in Yobe State, Kwajaffa in Borno, and Uba in Adamawa were honored with the prestigious Peace Ambassador Award. This recognition was bestowed upon them for their exceptional dedication and passion for promoting peace in their respective communities.

This achievement was made possible through our valued partnership with KerkinActie, who shared in JDPH’s vision of fostering peace and stability in these communities.

February, 2025

Creating a Culture of Tolerance, Trust and Understanding among students in Schools

At JDPH, the heart of our mission is the Education for Peace programme. This interactive initiative is designed to help students, teachers, and staff build respectful relationships, develop conflict-resolution skills, and foster a sense of community and inclusion. Our programme goes beyond teaching peaceful coexistence but also empowers them with the tools to understand their emotions, communicate effectively, and approach others with kindness.

Recently, with support from Kerk in Actie, our team visited schools in Gadaka community of Fika LGA, Yobe State, and Kwajiffa community in Hawul LGA, Borno State, to monitor and evaluate the success of the peace programme.

JULY 2025

With support from Kerk in Actie, an interfaith and interethnic training was successfully conducted for key stakeholders in Kankara and Likuni communities of Michika LGA, Adamawa State.'

The participants, including representatives of religious groups, traditional institutions, women, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs), were equipped with practical conflict de-escalation techniques rooted in faith, culture, and community values.

This training fostered mutual respect, empathy, and collaboration across diverse groups, planting seeds of lasting peace where it's needed most.

Together, we are building resilient communities through dialogue, understanding, and shared humanity.

July 2025

A significant step toward peace and unity was taken in the Shuwa and Kumbula communities of Madagali LGA, Adamawa State, where an inter-faith and inter-ethnic peacebuilding training was recently held.

Key stakeholders, including religious leaders, traditional rulers, women, youth, and persons with disabilities, gained practical conflict resolution skills rooted in faith, culture, and community values.

The training fostered empathy, mutual respect, and collaboration, planting seeds of lasting peace and resilience where it is needed most.

This was made possible through the generous support of Kerk in Actie

July 2025
Empowering Communities Through Training.
At Community Health, Justice, and Peace Initiative for Development (JDPH), with support from our partner Kerk in Actie we believe in the power of knowledge and skill-building to drive meaningful change.

Our training programmes equip individuals and communities with the tools to promote economic recovery, social cohesion, and sustainable development. Through hands-on sessions, expert guidance, and collaborative learning, key religious and traditional leaders, women, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) were empowered to create lasting impact in their communities.

This transformative interfaith and interethnic peacebuilding training was successfully conducted in Tampul and Sabongari communities of Askira Uba LGA, Borno State enhancing unity, dialogue, and resilience across diverse groups

August 2025

Through a recent interfaith and interethnic peacebuilding training in Nchiya and Nten-Pushit communities of Mangu LGA, Plateau State, diverse voices of religious leaders, traditional rulers, women, youth and persons with disabilities came together to build bridges across divides.

With generous support from our donor, Kerk in Actie, participants gained practical conflict resolution skills rooted in faith, tradition, and shared community values.

This initiative strengthened empathy, mutual respect, and collaboration, planting seeds of hope and resilience and paving the way for lasting peace where it is needed most