Search for Common Ground and Youth CARE recently took Plateau, Bauchi, and Gombe micro-influencers on an educational trip on peacebuilding and economic empowerment in community stability.
The informative and entertaining tour showed these leaders how inclusive development can help diverse communities coexist and prosper. At the Plateau State Micro Finance Development Agency (PLASMIDA), Director General Hon. Bomkam Ali Wuyep, represented by Barrister Samson Karami, stressed the agency's inclusion. PLASMIDA serves all Plateau State citizens, regardless of religion or tribe. “Our interventions are for all residents, including those without religious affiliations.
We value peace and take threats seriously, he said. Wuyep noted that PLASMIDA’s dedication to diversity and assistance for people is built in the agency’s philosophy that economic development generates peace. The group focuses on developing employment for jobless adolescents, believing this as a critical step in averting confrontations. He noted the agency’s belief, “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop,” underlining the need of keeping youngsters actively engaged. By offering fair access to economic resources, PLASMIDA aspires to promote a peaceful and economically stable society in Plateau State. According to Youth CARE Program Manager Munira Yarima Askira, the influencers visited PLASMIDA to learn about local economic empowerment programs.
She said the Youth CARE initiative, in cooperation with Search for Common Ground and the Young Leaders Network, aims to improve social media influencers' advocacy by teaching them about effective programs. Influencers got a Youth CARE mission and vision statement to better interact with their online networks.
The influencers visited Operation Rainbow Headquarters in Jos, where Brig. General Gakji Goshee Shipi (Rtd), special advisor on security to the Plateau State Governor and Coordinator of Operation Rainbow, greeted them. Shipi encouraged influencers to promote peace on social media, highlighting Operation Rainbow's non-violent peacekeeping role. “If God wanted us all to be of the same religion or tribe, He would have made it so.
We must accept our differences,” Shipi stated. Shipi congratulated the influencers for their efforts to engage kids constructively and advised them to continue promoting messages of peace and tolerance in their communities.
He underlined Operation Rainbow’s importance as an ecumenical security effort that engages with multiple security services to promote peace and stability in Plateau State. Operation Rainbow depends on non-violent dispute resolution and turns to further measures only when required, which serves as a model for encouraging peaceful coexistence.
The journey also included visits to mixed villages such as Mista Ali and Rafiki, where influencers experienced firsthand the harmonious interactions among individuals from diverse faith backgrounds. Influencers were especially taken by the amount of tolerance and mutual respect inside these communities, where Christians and Muslims often mingle, share meals, and even intermarry without letting religious differences to create friction. The influencers emphasized that these communities’ happy cohabitation demonstrates a common commitment to unity and peace.
They were encouraged to witness how inhabitants emphasize connections and common values above religious affiliations, considering these communities as living symbols of the peace that is achievable when diversity is honored.
This encounter served as a strong reminder that tolerance is not only feasible but crucial in establishing resilient communities. In Mista Ali, Rafiki, and PLASMIDA, influencers discovered strong tales of togetherness and inclusion that defied assumed negative notions.
Witnessing these communities survive despite their variety transformed their ideas on the possibilities for peace in places normally regarded through a prism of separation.
The trip underlined the significance of debunking preconceptions and urged influencers to spread these good tales on their platforms. The influencers’ interaction with PLASMIDA, Operation Rainbow, and other community leaders enhanced their knowledge of the relationship between peace and economic empowerment. As advocates, they observed how economic stability and inclusive policies might avert conflicts, establishing a firm basis for peacebuilding.
This revelation led them to adopt a more proactive strategy in leveraging their internet presence to push for inclusive growth and unity. Reflecting on the event, the influencers affirmed a commitment to utilizing their voices to promote peaceful cooperation. They want to encourage their audiences to learn from these communities, where tolerance and respect for diversity serve as the backbone of stability. “If these communities can live together peacefully, so can we,” one influencer wrote, urging for society to accept variety as a strength.
The influencers’ exposure to inclusive initiatives like those at PLASMIDA underlined the relevance of economic empowerment in decreasing poverty and building peace. They realized that economic troubles may lead to unrest, but by giving work opportunities and nurturing young, communities can become resilient against possible conflicts.
Their advocacy now focused on the premise that wealth shared across all groups is the cornerstone of a peaceful society. Brig. General Shipi’s address at Operation Rainbow Headquarters resonated with the influencers, reminding them that peace demands constant efforts from every part of society. By accepting diversity and handling security collectively, the influencers witnessed how unity could be preserved in even the most different areas.
This bolstered the influencers’ desire to propagate peaceful messages, bridging differences via digital storytelling. In conjunction with PLASMIDA, Operation Rainbow, and the Youth CARE initiative, these influencers are ready to inspire thousands of followers with a message of peace, inclusiveness, and mutual respect. The exposure trip emphasized the importance of influencers as advocates who can help transform attitudes and inspire young people to embrace tolerance over divisiveness.
The influencers believe that by sharing their stories, they would inspire a ripple effect, where communities throughout Plateau, Bauchi, and Gombe take strides toward unification. By creating bridges and recognizing differences, they think that a peaceful, resilient future is feasible for everybody.
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