The Zaria Mediation Centre (ZMC) has trained 57 students of Al-Iman Academy, Banzazzau, Zaria, Kaduna State, on human rights, alternative dispute resolution and conflict resolution as part of efforts to promote interfaith leadership and democratic stability.
The one-day training, held on Thursday, focused on equipping the students with basic legal literacy, mediation skills, paralegal knowledge and mechanisms for accessing justice.
The programme, organised under the project titled “Strengthening Women Interfaith Leadership for Human Rights, Transitional Justice and Democratic Stability,” brought together 32 female and 25 male students.
Speaking during the training, the facilitators emphasised the importance of equipping young people, particularly women, with the knowledge and skills needed to prevent conflicts, promote peaceful coexistence and support victims of human rights violations.
The training was facilitated by Maimuna Maude, Ambassador Abdulazeez Muazu and Daniel Babatunde.
Maude, who facilitated the session on Legal Navigation Support, introduced the participants to fundamental human rights under the 1999 Constitution and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act.
She also explained how victims could navigate the justice system, including reporting cases and seeking referrals through institutions such as the Police Gender Desk, National Human Rights Commission, Legal Aid Council, Sexual Assault Referral Centres and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons.
She stressed the importance of proper documentation and confidentiality when handling cases involving survivors of abuse.
In his session on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Muazu explained the principles of mediation, conciliation, negotiation and arbitration, noting that ADR could provide peaceful alternatives to adversarial approaches to resolving disputes.
He also demonstrated how mediation could be applied to interfaith and communal disputes, linking peaceful dispute resolution with transitional justice and sustainable peace.
Babatunde, who handled the session on paralegal roles and ethics, explained the functions of community paralegals, including legal education, case intake and referral, mediation, court watching and accompanying victims seeking justice.
He cautioned the participants against exceeding the limits of their roles, while emphasising confidentiality, non-discrimination and the principle of “do no harm.”
The facilitators also led a joint session on conflict resolution and interfaith leadership, where participants learnt about conflict mapping, the conflict cycle, tolerance, justice and peaceful coexistence.
The training adopted a participatory approach involving presentations, case studies, role-plays and group exercises.
According to the organisers, the participants’ average score improved from 38 per cent in the pre-training assessment to 82 per cent in the post-training assessment.
The participants also demonstrated basic mediation skills through role-plays involving family and school-based disputes.
As part of the outcome of the programme, the students formed the Al-Iman Interfaith Peace Club, which will serve as a platform for peer-to-peer mediation, human rights awareness and peacebuilding activities within the school and surrounding community.
The participants also committed to sharing the knowledge gained with at least five other peers each.
The Zaria Mediation Centre said the initiative was designed to create a new generation of young community leaders capable of promoting human rights, peaceful conflict resolution and inclusive leadership.
The centre said the enthusiasm demonstrated by the students showed that young people were willing to contribute to peacebuilding and democratic stability when provided with the necessary knowledge and tools.
About the Author
