Local community organizations are now creating what are being called community ‘peace bubbles’. Peacebuilders, through their organizations and mobilization, are building these ‘peace bubbles’. This term originated from the COVID-19 pandemic, wherein governments allowed small groups of people to create support ‘bubbles’ that could stay in close physical contact. In Nigeria, during the prolonged lockdown in 2020, there were religious bubbles and various kinds of community bubbles. These support bubbles were united by common interest and the need for collective safety either from the COVID-19 pandemic or to support one another with their livelihoods.
In the same vein, community ‘peace bubbles’ are evolving in many parts of Nigeria, and they are characterized by an absence of violence, or fear of violence, especially when weighed alongside the community’s proximity to a conflict zone. For these community peace bubbles, there are intersecting dynamics of peace, perception, conflict, economy, political, ethnic, and faith indices. In practical terms, a group can be in a peace bubble because they share the same faith, political affiliation, history, or shared aim of building community cohesion.
Civil society and non-governmental organizations, in their efforts to strengthen ungoverned spaces, are largely relying on these peace bubbles, but how can we identify them? Join Prince Charles Dickson on 29 September at 10:00 AM EST // 16:00 CEST to learn more & discuss.