Inaugural Commonwealth Peace Prize: Spotlighting Faith-based Peacebuilders in Nigeria - Akiri

Akiri

Inaugural Commonwealth Peace Prize: Spotlighting Faith-based Peacebuilders in Nigeria

Publication Date : 31-12-2025


Auteur(s) :

Mahamadi OUEDRAOGO, Djamal Dine DIASSO.


Volume/Numéro :
Volume 12
,
Issue 1
(12 - 2025)



Résumé :

This article examines the Commonwealth’s role in peacebuilding, using the inaugural Commonwealth Peace Prize awarded to Nigerian grassroots actors as an example. It is anchored in the theory of Conflict Transformation to demonstrate that while conflict cannot always be avoided among adherents of different religions, it can be transformed and leveraged to strengthen interfaith peace and social cohesion, as exemplified by Imam Dr. Muhammad Nurayn Ashafa and Rev. Dr. James Movel Wuye, the inaugural Commonwealth Peace Prize winners. These Nigerian religious leaders were awarded this prize for their longstanding contribution to the promotion of interfaith dialogue and reconciliation. This article draws on document analysis to argue that the Commonwealth’s symbolic recognition of these religious actors reflects its growing commitment to peace initiatives and highlights a local initiative, which can have a global impact. Through this case study, the article demonstrates how the Commonwealth can act as a transnational facilitator of religious pluralism by identifying, supporting, and spotlighting grassroots faith-based initiatives that promote religious harmony.


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Mots-clés:

Commonwealth, interfaith dialogue, peace prize, Nigeria, conflict transformation