By Pwanagba Agabus, Jos
Youths from some communities in Plateau State were engaged on digital content design, aimed at promoting resource optimisation and sustainable peace for environmental resilience.
The organisers of the pilot programme tagged; the Dilimi Progress Project, also said the digital content design training targets young people to ensure they lead advocacy efforts that counter negative narratives and promote peace and environmental sustainability.
Speaking at the opening of the training in Jos, the State Capital, the Project’s Coordinator, Janice Malakai, revealed that the training is aimed at equipping a new set of advocates who will carry the message of environmental resilience and sustainability across the State.
According to her, “Plateau State has suffered a lot of environmental-related conflicts, and it’s time we begin to change the narrative.
“The conflicts are not only religious or ethnic, there is also a bigger problem related to scarce resources, climate change, and climate-related actions.
“People need to begin seeing the situation from that perspective. A shift in thinking and narrative is necessary”, she maintained.
Malakai further stated that the approach is towards actualising the programme through digital platforms.
“We believe young people are already maximising the social media, so the same channels where misinformation and harmful content spread can also be used to promote messages of peace.
“Young people are often at the forefront of both positive and negative movements, including violent conflicts. So, we are equipping them to use the same tool—social media—for social good.
“Using digital platforms to promote positive change is the heart of this strategy”, she explained.
Also speaking, Program Officer of the Project, John Ret, said, “We also call ourselves Engaging Borders SRD, and SRD stands for Strategy, Research and Development.
According to him, “looking at how we arrived at this point as a society—both in Plateau State and in Nigeria as a country, we feel this project is necessary to engage young people differently.
“The core objective is to address issues around resource mobilisation and distribution, peace, resilience, and tolerance in a way that speaks directly to young people.
“We are doing that by taking these young people through online multiple open courses; so that eventually they will learn how to design and develop digital content that reflects themes like environment, peacebuilding, resilience, and tolerance.
“The goal is that when you go online, you find content that unites us instead of content that divides us”, he explained.
Participants were drawn from diverse communities from five local government areas of Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Jos North, Jos South, and Riyom; including people with disability.
The project is sponsored by the United Kingdom government through SPRING, an International Non Governmental Organisation operating in Nigeria.
