By joshua 
ActionAid is a global organisation that is dedicated to the fight against poverty. Its vision is a world, without poverty and injustice, in which every person enjoys his or her right to life with dignity.
ActionAid presently works in over 40 countries across the globe. ActionAid Nigeria has been working in Nigeria since 1999.
ActionAid Nigeria has through the “System and Structure Strengthening Approach Against Radicalization to Violent Extremism (SARVE II) Project”, is presently hosting a community of practice Meeting with IGSR, Women Environmental Programme (WEP), holding in Lokoja.
The COP is to broadly discuss how CSOs can identify key messages to develop advocacy materials for policy influencing in Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) implementation in Nigeria.
The ActionAid SARVE II project aims at reaching vulnerable groups within six Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Kogi State: Lokoja, Okehi, Adavi, Ankpa, Igalamela-Odolu, Kogi-Koto and six other LGAs in Nasarawa State: Akwanga, Nasarawa-Eggon, Obi, Lafia, Nasarawa and Toto within 30 months (2019 – 2021).
The SARVE 11 project is for the purpose of decreasing the vulnerability of at-risk young men and women, as well as strengthening community systems and structures to address violent extremism, Improving enabling environment for preventing violent extremism.
In a presentation at the COP, Mr. Anicetus Atakpu, Resillience Programme Coordinator with ActionAid, Team Lead of the SARVE 11 Project for ActionAid pointed out that In Nigeria, conflict and corruption are fundamentally driven by Social Injustice, Bad Governance.
Mr Anicetus also listed Unequal Opportunities, Poverty, Uneven Development, Inequality, and Ethno-Religious Secondary as Causes said the outcome of activities organised by ActionAid and its partners has helped in Preventing Violent Extremism.
While he noted that violence is clearly perceptible, he said there has been inadequate attention to its drivers which have also been missing in response plans, said the Community of practice would further provide the much, needed forum for exchange of ideas on Advocacy, best practices for CSO actors in the P/CVE space as well as an opportunity to reflect on two policy briefs as well as extract best practices with the hope of making context-sensitive suggestions that can effectively contribute to successful P/CVE advocacy and implementation.
The community of practice is hosted by ActionAid Nigeria with Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change in Development (PIBCID), Global Peace Development (GPD) and Beacon Youth Initiative (BYI) with funding from the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund, (GCERF).
This community of practice which held physically in Lokoja, Kogi State had virtual attendance from the donor in Geneva and ActionAid Nigeria’s office in Maiduguri.
Speaking from Maiduguri, David Habba, Manager, Humanitarian and Resilience Unit of ActionAid Nigeria, said the COP is basically for knowledge sharing on issues of common interest, and discuss issues of main concern that would help support the network in PCVE, urged the Participants to used the opportunity presented to Improve and proffer solutions to PCVE.
Similarly, Serah Le Mesurier, Country Manager, GCERF, wished the Participants well in the COP, said PCVE calls for serious collaborative effort that needs to be reviewed constantly.
In her remarks, Yetunde Adebimpe, of GCERF, said the COP would look at other workable plans and policies aimed at PCVE beyond what is already in practice.
… More Details to come