Beyond #endsars: Citizenscommon Partners Voice Global, Launches From Project To Action, Activating Our New Nigeria Project.
In a renewed effort to build on some of the learnings from the #EndSARS protests, Citizens Common International recently launched a partnership with Voice Nigeria to activate new opportunities for young Nigerians that are looking to amplify their voices , access new resources and capabilities that aids their resolve to be change leaders and active citizens in the pursuit of a New Nigeria.
From Protest to Action: Activating ‘our’ New Nigeria seeks to leverage the increased passion of young Nigerians to demand accountability from all levels of government seeking to ensure that #EndSARS protests do not go by the way of previous citizens' actions, ensuring adequate protection and safety for youth leaders working to stick it all out, speak amid government crackdown and anti-citizen actions.
Sitting on four pivots, the project will deploy a DoSomething Social Action Hub, a digital knowledge exchange platform that will mobilize, empower and resource young Nigerians with free resources and training to become active citizens and social change leaders. Through the instrumentation of the Community Change Champion Program; the project will identify, train and engage 20 high potential youth leaders who emerged from the protests and other networks, create a community of action and resources as well as training that empowers them with key skills, access mentorship and networks of leaders, institutions and resources that can strengthen their work as change champions. As the third pivot, the project will organise the Youth Conversations for New Nigeria, a series of national debates and community town halls consultations designed to create awareness and highlight policy issues of importance to young Nigerians from communities to campuses; the result of these consultations will be published and used as advocacy material to engage policymakers, state actors and stakeholders a. And lastly, through the Legal Commons partnership, FPA will identify a number of policies issues of importance to young Nigerians and advance public interest litigation to test the validity of these policies and advocate for change through the instrumentation of the law. We will also provide legal support for youth leaders and activists who needs it.
Speaking on the new project, Olalekan Oshunkoya, the Executive Director of Citizen Commons said “From Protests to Action is our own effort to amplify the voice of Nigerian youths by creating the tools and resources to make sure that our voices are not only heard on the street, but also on the table where decisions that affect our lives are made. For us to achieve lasting change, we must be intentional and invest in capacity development that develops new leaders through collective action”
The project is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands through the Voice Global initiative implemented by Oxfam and Hivos.