International Alert: Peacebuilding is Dialogue

Peacebuilding means supporting people to prevent or end violent conflict. It's like rolling up our sleeves, delving into why people fight and have disagreements, and then creating practical solutions. Peacebuilding aims to create the conditions for everyone in society to live peacefully. 

Take an example—Nigeria’s 2023 elections took place against a backdrop of insecurity and high tensions. Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices were targeted by physical attacks and the campaigns saw intense rivalry between political parties. Thankfully, there was little sign of post-election violence, but underlying fault lines were exposed. Turnout was low, representation of women remains poor, and the results were contested.

International Alert and its partners were concerned about the possibility of violence. To address this, International Alert worked with community groups and the authorities to organize the National Stability Dialogue initiative. The initiative—a series of events promoting stability, dialogue, and reconciliation—aims to reduce polarization and violence around the Nigerian elections in 2023 and those to come.

What did we learn? For one, dialogue is key. Adwoa Kufuor, the Senior Human Rights Advisor in the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator, spoke about how Nigeria stood at a crossroads, and that only engagement in genuine dialogue can restore confidence in Nigeria’s governance. “We need engagement in genuine dialogue with all stakeholders, including civil society and ordinary citizens whose voices are crucial in calling for accountability,” she said.

The events are run in partnership with the National Orientation Agency, the Office for Strategic Preparedness and the UK’s Conflict, Stability and Security Fund. 

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