The Women’s Interfaith Council (WIC) in Nigeria, which you generously supported for World Mission Sunday in 2021, is going from strength to strength.
The WIC addresses the challenges of peace and gender-based violence which are a consequence of the prolonged conflict between farming and herder communities in Nigeria. While the violence has decimated communities’ sources of income, women are disproportionately affected by its short and long-term consequences.
Through dialogue, understanding and respect, the brave women of the WIC – who come together across community divides – are bringing together communities which have been living in conflict for decades. And you have supported that mission, through your generous donations to Missio on World Mission Sunday 2021.
International Day of Peace
Sister Veronica, whom you may remember from our World Mission Sunday campaign last year, got in touch this week to share the organisations work on the UN International Day of Peace, and shared this wonderful film about the work they have been doing:
For the International Day of Peace, the WIC brought together Christian and Muslim people from the community in Kaduna state. They have been working closely on a Joint Initiative for Religious Action which seeks to empower ‘traditional, religious, women and youth leaders’ to become advocates of ‘better attitudes and positive behaviours and actions that counter dangerous narratives of religious extremism’, as well as other forms of discrimination and harmful cultural practices against women and youth in the communities.
Seeing ourselves in others
The WIC ran joint activities with Christian and Muslim communities, and the activities turned out to be a huge success. They gave presentations which, they shared:
‘became an eye-opener to the community members on the embedded similarities of both Christianity and Islam, which have no rationality for attacks on the other religions’.
No subjects were off-limits as these peace pioneers discussed subjects ranging from inter-religious marriages, women’s inability to inherit properties, child labour, forceful and early marriages, female gender mutilation, gender-based violence and hate speech, amongst others.
Participants committed to being vocal and active in addressing the community problems and creating a society which will reject:
‘any attitude or behaviour that harms another member of the community or reduces their humanity. That is the best way WIC builds peace in the communities’.
You are helping this mission
Through your generous donations to Missio, you are helping missionaries like Sr Veronica build peace in communities that have been in a state of conflict for generations. This is life-changing help. Sr Veronica recently told us:
‘We live in fear, but we are comforted by your continued support and prayers, and encouraged not to relent because we are not alone in these challenges. People live in fear and the cost of living has gone up and livelihood for the rural people is very challenging. We need your prayers…’
She added:
‘Thank you for the support of the people of England and Wales in putting smiles on the faces of the most vulnerable’.
Read more
- You can read the latest update from Sr Veronica and the WIC in the Autumn edition of Mission Today>>
- For more stories, films and accounts from this project and other World Mission Sunday campaigns, click here>>