CCN, Christian Aid Launch PeARLS Project to strengthen Peacebuilding in Kaduna, Plateau

By Editor

The Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN), in partnership with Christian Aid and the Social Justice and Human Development for Peace Initiative (JDPC Jos), has launched the PeARLS Project to strengthen community-led peacebuilding, resilience and accountability in Kaduna and Plateau States.

The initiative, which focuses on Peacebuilding, Accountability, Resilience and Local Solutions, was launched on September 24, 2026, at the Odilin Event Centre, Jos, Plateau State, under Christian Aid’s Community-Led Peacebuilding Signature Programme.

The launch brought together representatives of state and local governments, traditional and religious institutions, security agencies, civil society organisations, women and youth groups, internally displaced persons (IDPs), persons with disabilities (PWDs), development partners and peacebuilding practitioners.

Participants explored practical approaches to strengthening peaceful coexistence, community resilience, accountability and locally driven responses to conflict.

The PeARLS Project is premised on the recognition that conflicts affecting communities in Kaduna and Plateau States often transcend state and local government boundaries, making cross-community collaboration essential to sustainable peacebuilding.

The organisers said the project would therefore promote peacebuilding approaches that connect neighbouring communities and strengthen the institutions, relationships and systems required to prevent conflict, respond to emerging tensions and sustain peace.

Rather than treating communities merely as beneficiaries of peacebuilding interventions, the project places local people at the centre of identifying challenges, determining priorities and developing solutions that reflect their experiences and realities.

“Local solutions designed by communities last much longer. Trust and social cohesion build safety, heal trauma and repair broken relationships,” the project organisers emphasised.

The PeARLS Project will be implemented across four Local Government Areas in Kaduna and Plateau States, with emphasis on community ownership, participation and locally driven solutions.

Under the initiative, communities will have opportunities to share experiences and deepen their understanding of conflict triggers; identify practical responses to challenges affecting peaceful coexistence; participate in decisions and policies that affect them; and strengthen local structures for accountability and resilience.

The project is also expected to create platforms through which communities can engage across geographical and social boundaries, build trust and address issues capable of generating tension before they escalate into conflict.

The partnership among Christian Aid, CCN and JDPC Jos reflects a shared commitment to strengthening local capacity for peacebuilding while supporting communities to develop sustainable responses to conflict and its underlying causes.

Through the initiative, the partners seek to strengthen relationships among communities, improve resilience and accountability, and promote locally owned mechanisms capable of sustaining peaceful coexistence.

The PeARLS Project ultimately goes beyond conflict response, seeking to build stronger connections among communities and establish local systems through which peace can be nurtured and sustained.

The initiative underscores the growing emphasis on community ownership in peacebuilding, recognising that lasting peace is more likely to endure when affected communities are actively involved in designing and implementing solutions to the challenges confronting them.

The release further advised that the CCN website would provide additional information on the project.