Sowing Seeds of Peace – The work of PROCMURA in Nigeria

Sowing Seeds of Peace

The Programme of Christian-Muslim Relations in Africa (PROCMURA) are a long term partner of the Methodist Church in Britain and work to promote good Christian-Muslim relationships.  In September 2020, while marking the international week of peace under the theme, THE PLACE OF RELIGION IN PEACE BUILDING, PROCMURA began specific work by sowing seeds of peace at the community level.  This work was supported with £10000 grant from the World Mission Fund of the Methodist Church in Britain.

The Background

Since the early 1970s, Kaduna State, Nigeria has experienced various forms of conflicts, most of which have a religious background.   Recently in July 2020, unknown attackers killed more than forty three (43) people, mostly Christians in southern Kaduna. This attack led to serious humanitarian crisis, which caught the attention of PROCMURA and her partners.

The Initiative

The PROCMURA team visited volatile areas of southern Kaduna providing humanitarian assistance to both Christians and Muslims.  They invited a cross section of religious leaders from the affected communities and together they visited and prayed in different villages and camps that had been affected. PROCMURA supplied food items, clothes and bags of cement to help reinforce the temporary huts that displaced persons live in. Medical attention was given to the sick and those traumatised by the violence. Psychosocial support was given to those psychologically affected, and some of them expressed negative feelings about life and living in such conditions. The number of direct beneficiaries were 883 persons based at five different IDP (internally displaced people) campsites. They were mostly Christians of different denominations namely Methodists, Anglicans, Lutherans, Baptists, Catholics, Assemblies of God, Cherubin & Seraphim etc. as well as affected Muslims. Beneficiaries were mostly women with children and men whose houses, livelihoods and villages were burnt down by the attackers.

The Outcomes

As the work progressed there was an awakened the sense of community and togetherness, this occurred while the temporary buildings were reinforced and repaired.  PROCMURA itself benefitted from strengthened relationships between itself, the community and working alongside other organisations.  One of the greatest outcomes has been to change mind-set and challenging the negative perceptions between Christians and Muslims.  Seeing this work has meant that young people have gained a new awareness on religious tolerance, which will help to break the cycle of misunderstanding and violence.

Please read in more detail from the PROCMURA report here