Engaging Borders Africa

The Engaging Borders Africa Project Summary

Situation

The Sahel region, including Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, and Kenya, faces significant challenges due to violent extremism and hate speech. The rise of extremist rhetoric and the polarization of societies along ethnic, religious, and gender lines have led to increased violence and instability. Traditional state responses have often relied on kinetic measures, which have not addressed the root causes of extremism.

Complication

Violent extremist groups, such as Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and al-Shabaab, have leveraged the internet and social media to spread their messages and recruit members. The lack of effective counter-narratives has allowed these divisive voices to dominate digital spaces, undermining efforts to promote peace and cohesion. Establishing contacts and transferring funds within the region have also presented logistical challenges, particularly in francophone countries.

Question

How can the Engaging Borders Africa project effectively counter violent extremism and hate speech in the Sahel region using non-kinetic approaches, despite logistical and communication challenges?

Answer

With funding from the Open Society-Africa, the Engaging Borders Africa project employs creative mediums such as filmmaking and creative writing to foster non-kinetic approaches to peacebuilding and conflict prevention. The project includes:

1. Creative Writing

•    - Conducted a virtual workshop focusing on Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) and creative writing.
•    - Engaged 60 participants from diverse backgrounds, delivering the workshop in both French and English.

2. Filmmaking

•    - Produced three short films: "This Side of the Sun" (Kenya), "Hate is Like Party Jollof" (Nigeria), and "Travelling" (Nigeria).
•    - Premiered the films between June 14-16, 2023, and published them on the project’s web platform.

3. Website Development

•    - Created a comprehensive website to host the films and other project outputs, featuring SEO, user registration, LMS, forum, scalable content pages, and social media integration.
•    - The website serves as a hub for accessing content and engaging with the community, with 2,672 active users as of June 15, 2023.

Key Success Indicators

• - All three films met the minimum selection requirements and were successfully published on the web platform.
• - Social media engagement and posts related to the films helped increase visibility and impact.

Challenges and Lessons Learned

• - Difficulties in establishing contacts in francophone countries and the high cost of intra-African funds transfer.
• - The importance of continuous engagement, planning, and high-level advocacy to foster ownership and achieve results.
• - Collaborating with diverse backgrounds required patience and professionalism, highlighting the need for robust partnerships.

Recommendations

• - Enhance the quality and content of virtual workshops on PCVE and creative writing.
• - Explore alternative networks to establish contacts in francophone regions.
• - Build on identified strengths, address weaknesses, and leverage opportunities for future project phases.

Conclusion

The Engaging Borders Africa project has successfully implemented creative and digital strategies to counter violent extremism and hate speech, with support from Open Society-Africa playing a crucial role. The project’s ongoing activities and future plans aim to expand its reach and impact, fostering dialogue and cooperation across affected communities in the Sahel region.