Youth Peace and Nation Building
A Proposal for Co-Curricular Activities
In Junior and Senior Secondary Schools in Lagos State of Nigeria
Presented by African Foundation for Peace and Love Initiatives
Introduction and Problem Statement
Youth violence is rapidly destroying the fabrics of African communities. In the last 60 years no sub-sector of
the African communities has been spared of youth violence. Youth violence comes in various colors and
shades, overwhelming and intimidating the authorities. Youth violence is everywhere: at homes among
siblings, in the neighborhoods among the people, on buses and trains, at sport arenas, public places and
entertainment houses, but most unfortunately in institutions of learning. The hardest hit sector by youth
violence is the schools, and the authorities appear overwhelmed and helpless. At this juncture in the history
of youth development in Africa, new leaders must emerge who have the discernment and determination to
do something bold, urgent and rapid to curtail youth violence. The call of the problem sounds louder than
religious, tribal or political partisanship. This is something on which everyone must work if we want to make a
difference. Teachers, parents, religious leaders, the civic society, professionals, business men and women,
we all must figure out how to do the work of reorienting our youths from violence to peace, from hatred to
love.
Youth Violence has a History in Nigeria
Up till 1973, schools, colleges, and universities campuses were the most peaceful among Nigerian
communities, except for occasional fan-related quarrels occurring during inter-house sports, school
competitions, or soccer engagements. Like everything that had a good beginning, students mass rallies
were seen as a march of solidarity to demand for amenities such as adequate water supply, uninterrupted
electricity, cheap transportation, and good education, etc. Before long every little agitation by the students
are often hijacked by cult members and miscreants turning them to large scale, violent and deadly riots,
resulting in the lost of lives of several students at their prime age. Throughout the 80s and 90s and even as
recently as few months ago, students’ riot continued to be very destructive, targeting teachers and
professors, damaging campus facilities such as classrooms, libraries, and school properties, killing fellow
students and destroying public and private properties. The most unfortunate outcome is that it is the
students who are losing and their violent agitations hardly make any difference within or outside the
campuses. No tangible gains or benefits are derived directly or indirectly from violence in the schools
whether for short, mid or long term.
The Importance of a Vision
Vision is the vehicle of progress and development. A people are doomed when there is no backward,
composite or forward looking vision. Africa continued to wallow in chaos, decadence and poverty because
the leaders lacked a vision, the followers were bereft of a mission and as a consequence, the youths are
disillusioned. Time is on for Africa to birth its own vision, grow its own mission and mastermind its own
destiny.
The Birth of a New Vision
In August of 1996, after a deadly riot involving the students of the Ilaro Polytechnic and the school hosting
communities, during which several students were killed, the Lord shared a vision with Reverend Titus K.
Oyeyemi, couched in these words: “Africa, the Future Land of Peace.” Upon receiving this divine vision,
Reverend Oyeyemi set aside six years to design, develop and plan how to turn the mission into a vision.
After several years of studies and research, Reverend Oyeyemi came to the conclusion that for a lasting
peace to come to Africa, every sub-culture of the African communities must be made to receive some
element of structured education for peace and encouraged to pursue some social-cultural adjustment
programs. During his research and studies, Reverend Oyeyemi founded the organization African Projects
for Peace and Love Initiatives (APPLI) and created a number of channels through which he envisaged that
the structured education for peace can be implemented and the socio-cultural adjustments programs can be
promoted.
The Organization and its Mission
APPLI is a grassroots proactive peace organization set up with the objective of promoting ethno religious
harmony in Africa through structured education for peace. A 501 c 3 NGO, with its headquarters in the
United States of America, APPLI is developing continental Peace chapters throughout Africa. APPLI’s
chapter in Nigeria is called African Foundation for Peace and Love Initiatives (AFPLI). AFPLI will be in
charge of running the Youth Peace and Nation Building Program in Nigeria’s Jr. and Sr. Secondary Schools,
as well as in other grassroots communities, religious and educational institutions in Nigeria.
The mission of APPLI is to promote peace as an alternative to war, love as an alternative to hatred, hope as
an alternative to despair, and wholeness as an alternative to disease and decay, and most importantly, to
give the African peoples the opportunities to take the initiatives for, develop and own their peace efforts.
The Core Objective and Mission of the Program
The core objective and mission for Youth Peace and Nation Building program is to convert the militant and
violent African youths in schools and colleges to peace loving and resourceful youths for nation building,
progress and development through the structured education for peace and socio-cultural adjustment
programs designed and developed by APPLI.
The Channels for Implementing the Program
The following are the channels through which AFPLI/APPLI envisioned to accomplish its program of Youth
Peace and Nation Building
1. Forming Peace Clubs in all schools
2. Conducting individual and intercollegiate seminars, training, workshops and conferences
3. Organizing extra-mural activities for students
4. Establishment of Peace Education Centers
5. Promoting youth economic empowerment programs and developing youths of character, honor,
responsibility and accountability
6. Teaching African youths how to resolve conflicts peacefully without resorting to violence
7. Infusing the Youth Peace and Nation Building Curriculum into the existing academic curriculum
What we have done
i. The organization has launched more than 35 grassroots peace and love clubs in Nigeria since its
inception less than two years ago.
ii. The organization has conducted more than 15 street peace rallies in the Lagos, Ogun, and Ondo
States of Nigeria. Our first street peace rallies were conducted to encourage the peaceful elections of April
2003.
iii. The organization is working with various universities in Nigeria to launch their peace clubs. We have
launched peace clubs in the following schools:
Olabisi Onabanjo University Ago Iwoye, Ogun State
Federal University of Technology, Akure in Ondo State
Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, Ondo state,
Single Gate Nursery and Primary School, Akowonj, Lagos State
Pentecostal Children School, Dopemu Agege, Lagos State
iv. The organization has designed and developed two major curriculums
A 40-course post-secondary peace curriculum entitled “Equipping the New African Peacebuilder”
A 52-lesson curriculum entitled “Youth Peace and Nation Building for Jr. and Sr. Secondary Schools”
We are also building a library of resources and engaging in network activities with existing
institutions, NGOs, community and religious leaders.
We are also building international working relationships to make our work conform to international
standards.
v. In collaboration with the Federal University of Technology Akure, APPLI has inaugurated a steering
committee to work on how its Youth Economic Empowerment Program will take off.
vi. The organization as a faith-base, distributes symbolic peace items such as peace t-shirts to make
the faith confession for Africa Future Land of Peace a public slogan.
Types of Peace Clubs Launched by APPLI/AFPLI
1. The KAIROS Peace Clubs for schools, colleges and universities
2. The KAYERO Peace Clubs for religious and community institutions
3. The African children of Peace Clubs for kindergarten, nursery/primary schools
4. The Youth for Peace Alliance Clubs (YPAC) for secondary schools
5. The New World Peace Legacy Clubs
6. The Intercessors for Peace Club
The Prospects of the Clubs
Our approach to school and campus peace is unique in itself. Instead of confrontation, we are introducing
dialogue. Instead of escalating conflict, we are de-escalating conflicts. We take proactive steps to promote
campus peace. The students that have become members of our peace clubs have expressed satisfaction
with the approach. The teachers and the professors have embraced it and are prepared to support its
growth and continuity on their campuses. Through the clubs we have reached out to future generations of
leaders of Africa to cultivate a new lifestyle of peace as against the erroneous inclination to use violence to
settle all conflicts. The clubs have a great future not only for the schools and their students but for the
society at large. Since all the sub-cultures and sub-sectors of the communities are involved, we hope that
we will all be working together to achieve one goal: A Future Africa Land of Peace.
The Call for Change
Everyone knows that a change is over due for Africa. But no-one knows where to begin. Change is not bliss
because it demands a price and a sacrifice. However, if any people can endure the anguish of change and
pay the price for development, change will usher in for them a new world. At personal level, the key to
successful living is continuous personal change. At societal level, change calls for socio-cultural
adjustments. For change to come leaders in every sector of the society must embrace a vision for change
and their behavior must reflect a transformational paradigm. Everyone must be prepared to contribute
behaviors and lifestyles that will encourage, promote and enhance change. The need for change cannot be
externalized; it has to start with the inner convictions of the individual.
A Proposal for Change
The information contained in this presentation is not a case study. It is a proposal and an aid memoir for
youth peace and nation building. It is also a tool for change. However, to make this proposal an effective
tool for change, various pedagogical approaches will be employed. Participants in the programs being
promoted through this proposal will engage in extra-mural activities, role plays, case studies, youth peace
and nation building, youth economic empowerment projects, leadership training, career counseling,
character development, building the body, soul and spirit, learning positive peer pressure tactics,
information technology and globalization, creativity and innovation, and most importantly, character.
Phases of Implementation
We will discuss the phases of the implementation of this program as far as Junior and Senior Secondary
Schools are concerned in the following paragraphs.
Phase 1- Preparatory Stage
Develop the necessary internal capacities; create teachers and students’ awareness; secure teachers and
students participations; generate parental and public supports. During this stage club constitutions will be
reviewed to reflect or accommodate any suggestions by teachers, students, parents, and other interested
parties in the community. A thorough examination of materials and resources will be done and teachers will
be asked to volunteer to train in their use and application. Teachers and facilitators’ training will be
discussed under a special heading.
Phase 2 – Starting the Peace Clubs
Starting the grassroots peace clubs and conducting the awareness street peace rallies. Adequate planning
will go into the launching of the grassroots peace clubs in the schools. Since AFPLI/APPLI has launched
many peace clubs at institutions of higher learning and at privately owned lower schools such as
kindergartens, nurseries, primaries and secondary schools, there is ample experience to draw from.
Phase 3 – Putting the Clubs to Work
The ultimate objective of AFPLI/APPLI is to promote the formation of clusters of peace clubs in each School
District, that is each school in the district will eventual have its own peace club. With the establishments of
these clusters of peace clubs, it will be possible to promote separate and group activities for individual or
group of schools, both at District and State Levels. APPLI will present to each school District a draft time-
table of its scheduled programs and would request for comments and responses. The program will include
extra-mural activities, lectures, workshops, seminars and conferences. Leaders in all sectors of the society:
working and retired teachers, government officials, businessmen and women, religious leaders, the police
and royal fathers, and professionals in youth peace, mediation and conflict resolutions will be engaged as
resources during workshops, conferences, and seminars.
Phase 4 – Infusing our Peace Curriculum into the Existing Academic Curriculum
This is the ultimate goal of APPLI in the presentation of the structured education for peace. To achieve this
goal, necessary enabling environments would have to be created. A number of building blocks and step by
step events that will lead to this achievement have been conceptualized. A 52 weeks lesson entitled “Youth
Peace and Nation Building” has been developed which students of Junior and Senior secondary can do on
weekly basis the same way as sex and health education. To prepare professional teachers for this purpose,
a post-secondary peace academy has been conceived, and the 40-course curriculum entitled “Equipping
New African Peace builder” that would be taught at the academy has already been designed and
developed. Preparation is at a high level to start the post-secondary peace academy. Pending the time
when the peace academy will graduate its first students, short term training will be conducted for teachers
and other volunteers engaged in the youth peace and nation building program.
Modalities for Implementation
The following items might constitute the preliminary discussions:
i. Review of the constitution and other conceptual materials
ii. Determining the roles of school administrators and faculties (teachers)
iii. Creating the necessary awareness
iv. Designing and developing the necessary time-schedules
v. Starting the peace clubs
Methods of Implementation
As usual a working committee will be commissioned between AFPLI/APPLI and the School District Authority.
This working committee will work through the modalities for implementation and submit a report. The report
when approved by a majority of the working committee and where necessary the body of teachers, parents,
governments and interested members of the public will become the implementation working paper.
Cluster of Peace Clubs and Teachers’ Involvements
The idea, as mentioned above is to establish a cluster of peace clubs in each School District with every
school having its own peace clubs, its own activities, its own facilitators and leaders. However, the clubs will
run similar programs. To ensure smooth running of the programs, each school will have to assign teachers
to the preliminary training programs. The working committee will work with AFPLI/APPLI in formulating the
time schedule for the necessary training programs.
Funding the Program
AFPLI/APPLI is a 501 c 3 NGO and as such will depend on donations received from members of the public,
grants, foundations, governments, etc. to finance this program.
Call for Support
No matter how good a vision is, it cannot survive unless everyone decided to give it a chance by believing
the vision and participating in the vision. We are using this opportunity to solicit the total support of your
School District to make this program a success not only in your District, but in other Districts as well.
We wish to impress it upon everyone that we are a young organization. Just as any young baby needs to be
nurtured and accommodated, we appeal to the larger society to please give us a chance to prove
ourselves. We promise you that we will not let you down. Any confidence reposed in us will be adequately
reciprocated. Please click here for implementing training for launching of Y-PAC and staffing structure for Y-
PAC.
Eniola Ogundipe, (B.Sc. Town Planning and Urban Development)
National Secretary, AFPLI (Oct. 26, 2005)