The Rural Development Counsellor for Christian Churches in Africa (RURCON) has recorded significant achievements in fostering peaceful coexistence among diverse communities in Plateau State through its “Faith Community for Peace” campaign. The initiative is part of the broader Joint Initiative for Strategic Religious Action (JISRA) project, supported by Tearfund and other international partners.
Over a two-day period, from July 2 to 3, 2025, RURCON organized a series of community-based review sessions across four communities—Corner Soldier, Zaruma, Dutsen Kura, and Rafiki—bringing together religious leaders, traditional rulers, women, and youth to reflect on the journey toward peace and tolerance.
Day One: Deepening Unity in Jos North LGA
On July 2, community members from Corner Soldier and Zaruma in Jos North LGA gathered at Goodlife Hotel, Jos, to reflect on the impact of the JISRA project. RURCON’s Monitoring and Evaluation team facilitated interactive sessions that encouraged honest dialogue across religious and social divides.
Mrs. Dinatu Ayizat, Executive Director of RURCON, described the campaign as transformative, noting that for the first time in these communities, “Muslims and Christians now interact freely,” and that the campaign has elevated women’s roles in leadership, with one woman recently elected as a community counselor.
Elizabeth Onu, JISRA Project Officer, emphasized the initiative’s layered approach, which began by addressing tensions within religious groups before facilitating interfaith dialogues. “Many conflicts stem from clashes in values,” she said. “We first encouraged communities to resolve internal divisions within their faiths before building bridges across religions.”
Participants from both Christian and Muslim groups gave testimonies on the positive changes witnessed. Pastor Willson Nwadike from Zaruma praised JISRA for encouraging outreach between religious and traditional leaders, fostering peace, and promoting initiatives like village savings and loans associations (VSLA). Aminu Isa, representing Muslim youths from Corner Soldier, said the knowledge gained has boosted youth participation in community development activities.
Stories of intermarriage, shared celebrations, and joint community projects were also highlighted. Traditional leader Markus Sani Nyam, District Head of Hallnambu in the Anaguta Chiefdom, noted: “These teachings have restored peaceful coexistence. We now understand the need to live in peace regardless of tribe or faith.”
Day Two: Bassa Communities Celebrate Peace Gains
On July 3, the focus shifted to Rafiki and Dutsen Kura communities in Bassa LGA, where participants shared moving accounts of healing and reconciliation.
Jibrin Isah, a religious leader in Dutsen Kura, shared how interfaith cooperation has flourished: “Before JISRA, mistrust was high. Now, we worship together, our children attend the same schools, and we jointly clean our streets.”
Women leaders such as Maryam Abubakar and Blessing Ezekiel praised the inclusion of women in decision-making processes. Youth leader Jafaru Isah noted that through financial empowerment like the Adashe savings initiative, young people have launched businesses, abandoned drug abuse, and become peace ambassadors.
Elizabeth Onu revealed that even Imams are now involving women in religious conversations, a significant cultural shift. “Women are being heard in spaces they were once excluded from. Even traditional leaders now include daughters in inheritance,” she said.
District Head Adik Adankala challenged communities to take ownership of peace: “It’s not the President’s job. Peace begins with us.”
Reflections and Way Forward
In her remarks, Mrs. Ayizat emphasized that RURCON’s vision is rooted in the transformation of African communities through peace. “The main trigger for conflict in the selected communities was religious bias,” she noted. “Today, we see Christians and Muslims interacting freely, with women stepping into leadership roles. That’s real transformation.”
She also praised JISRA’s unique three-pillar strategy: intra-faith dialogue, interfaith cooperation, and advocacy. “The first two pillars have achieved remarkable success. Going forward, we aim to deepen our impact through stronger advocacy and policy engagement.”
Though successes abound, participants acknowledged ongoing challenges. Musa Saleh warned against external actors seeking to reignite tensions. Others, like Ardo Bako Abubakar, stressed the need for continued training and education to sustain peace gains.
RURCON’s JISRA project, is currently active in Plateau and Kaduna States, working in communities including Corner Soldier, Zaruma communities of Jos North, Rafiki and Dutsen Kura of Bassa LGA in Plateau, while Kaduna State project communities include Zokuwa and Ayaga Communities in Zangon Kataf, and Gidan Waya Community in Jama’a LGA.
As the project draws closer to its fifth year, both RURCON and community members are calling for greater support to sustain its gains. From promoting women’s voices and interfaith trust to equipping youth for economic self-reliance, the JISRA model is being hailed as a beacon of hope in the region’s peacebuilding efforts.
“This project has helped restore what we lost: trust, dialogue, and unity,” said Haruna Abubakar, Imam of Corner Soldier. “Now, we celebrate each other’s festivals, pray together, and build our community—together.”
