Participants at the FoRB neighbourhood advocacy programmes
Last weekend, a young Faith and Freedom Africa (FFA) FoRB advocate demonstrated what grassroots advocacy can look like when knowledge is transformed into action.
Maimuna Mohammed, a Minna-based young advocate for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), brought women from her neighbourhood together for a simple but important conversation about religious freedom, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.
She introduced participants to a fundamental understanding of FoRB: the right to have a belief, to hold a belief different from others, to change one’s belief, or to choose not to profess a belief—without discrimination, intimidation or coercion.
Maimuna also boldly addressed the dangers of division, intolerance and disrespect for the faith of others. She reminded the women that when communities fail to respect differences in religion and belief, mistrust can deepen and seemingly small disagreements can grow into larger conflicts.
But the conversation did not end with one meeting.
Maimuna assured the women that she would continue engaging them and creating opportunities for the community to talk about FoRB, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
This is the kind of change FFA seeks to inspire: young advocates taking ownership of FoRB and bringing the conversation from training rooms into neighbourhoods, homes and communities.
When one young advocate gathers her neighbours and begins a conversation about freedom, dignity and respect, a seed of peaceful coexistence is planted.
FoRB begins with understanding. Respect grows through conversation. Peace is strengthened when communities learn to live with their differences.
Your faith. My faith. Our freedom