In conflict-affected communities across Plateau State, historical narratives and social divisions have often fueled youth violence, undermining trust and cohesion. The Youth Initiative Against Violence and Human Rights Abuse (YIAVHA), supported by the SPRiNG programme, is addressing these challenges through an innovative Intergenerational Dialogue through Storytelling model, fostering communication and trust between youth and elders as a pathway to peace.
Intervention Highlights
The project created safe spaces for intergenerational reflection, enabling young people and elders to share personal and collective experiences of conflict, coexistence, and resilience. By reviving positive community narratives and countering divisive messaging, the intervention strengthened social cohesion and non-violent norms.
YIAVHA engaged local leaders and storytellers to guide the dialogues and ensure community legitimacy, while trained facilitators moderated discussions that encouraged consensus-building on practical actions to address conflict triggers and extremist narratives.
Approach and Activities
Community Mapping and Stakeholder Identification – Targeted conflict-affected communities and identified youth and elders for dialogue participation.
Intergenerational Dialogue Sessions – Moderated sessions allowed participants to share experiences, reflect on past conflicts, and explore pathways for peaceful coexistence.
Consensus Building – Each dialogue concluded with agreements on community actions to reinforce non-violent norms.
Peace Ambassador Training – Selected participants were empowered to lead further dialogues, share stories of reconciliation, and sustain community-level peace activities.
Key Results
2,886 participants engaged, including 1,688 males and 1,198 females; 2,608 were youth under 35, and 278 were adults aged 35 and above.
Improved intergenerational trust and communication, evidenced by youth engaging peacefully with elders and peers from different backgrounds.
Strengthened social cohesion through revival of positive narratives and reinforcement of non-violent community norms.
Peace ambassadors now lead storytelling dialogues and reconciliation initiatives within their own communities.
Youth who previously avoided rival communities began entering those spaces without fear, forming cross-community relationships.
Lessons Learned
The YIAVHA intervention demonstrates that embedding indigenous knowledge and promoting community ownership are critical for sustaining conflict-sensitive programming in fragile contexts. Storytelling and dialogue offer low-cost, culturally grounded tools that can transform relationships, reduce violence, and foster long-term peace.
Read the full case study to learn how SPRiNG is leveraging storytelling and intergenerational dialogue to rebuild trust and strengthen social cohesion in Plateau State.