Forum for cities in transition (I)

I always avoid passing through that part of town during rush hour as one could spend a considerable amount of time waiting in the traffic. For me, the traffic pattern is a sad reminder that Kaduna, the former capital of the old Northern Region is a now segregated city. This is a complete departure from […]

I always avoid passing through that part of town during rush hour as one could spend a considerable amount of time waiting in the traffic. For me, the traffic pattern is a sad reminder that Kaduna, the former capital of the old Northern Region is a now segregated city. This is a complete departure from the cosmopolitan city that captured the diversity of Northern Nigeria and the country, where people of mixed ethnic and religious coloration lived side by side and developed trust and strong affinity with each other. Twenty years ago when I first came to live in that city, the bonding among its diverse population was remarkable.
However the 2000 ethno religious conflicts which were believed to be the most destructive since Nigeria’s civil war has turned Kaduna into a segregated city. People moved from areas where they were attacked to areas where they felt safer. Three of the metropolitan local governments are occupied by the parties involved in the conflict. The majority of Hausa, Fulani, Nupe, Kanuri, and Yoruba, who are Muslim, live in Kaduna North and Igabi Local Government areas. Those who are Christians from among these ethnic groups and the numerous ethnic groups of Southern Kaduna, the middle belt, Igbo and other ethnic groups from Southern Nigeria live in Kaduna South. However there are a few wards within these local governments that accommodate a mixed population and have remained a replica of the old Kaduna in all its diversities.
Among them are Unguwar Rimi, Constitution Road, and Kabala Costain in Kaduna North and Barnawa in Kaduna South. There are also residential areas that clearly reflect all the trappings of a divided city. The Muslim population is clustered in Unguwar Sarki, Tudun Wada, Rigasa, Unguwar Sanusi, Badarawa and Unguwar Dosa while Christians live in Unguwar Television, Sabu-war Tasha, Nasarawa, Barnawa new extension, Narayi and Unguwar Romi.
Every morning the divided population move from their enclave to the business district to work. The markets and all business districts of the town remain mixed and have remained so even at the peak of all the conflicts. They are areas where Nigerians, irrespective of diversity demonstrate to the world that all they want is to live in peace sustain their means of livelihood.
Sadly, there are many divided cities worldwide but it is also consoling that peace workers in these communities are committed to bringing their divided populations to a forum where they identify and promote issues that unite them while addressing those that divide them.
The Forum for Cities in Transition (FCT) is an organization, founded by the University of Massachusetts Boston with the objective of bringing divided cities/state/countries together to share their experience of conflict, how they have emerged from it and the measures in place to further reconciliation among divided cities. The methodology adopted by the forum is that each member state organizes a conference where it hosts the other member cities in its city for about four days. During that period, the host community shows other FCT members where it once was in terms of conflict and the progress made in the transition to peace. It also shares with them the reconciliation processes it has put in place to ensure that peace agreements made are by the parties in the conflict are actually implemented so that they provide the starting point for healing and reconciliation among the member cities of the FCT. Participants from Kaduna state participated in previous FCT conferences that were held in London Derry in Ireland and Kirkuk in Iraq. The officials of FCT led by its Director Professor Patrick O’Malley had approached Kaduna State Governor Alhaji Ramalan Yero and requested the government to host the next FCT conference. The Governor graciously accepted and promptly set up a Steering Committee to organize the event. On July 5 2013 my humble self was invited by the Kaduna State government among several other peace workers, government officials and event managers to join the Steering Committee of Cities in Transition conference which will be hosted in Kaduna from November 4-5 this year.
The Committee which is now working round the clock is chaired by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Aminu. The conference aims at establishing Kaduna State as the hub for peace and reconciliation for all other Northern Nigeria states in conflicts. The conference plans to establish a follow up committee, at the end of the conference which will ensure sustainability of the commitment by Kaduna participants for promoting healing and reconciliation. Other expected outcomes are to sustain Nigerian hope of becoming a world role model where Christians and Muslims live together and reconnect Kaduna with international community for business investment opportunities and sustainable peace-building. Three FCT conferences have been held so far in divided cities of Mitrovice (Kosovo/Serbia), Derry Londonderry (pro-united Ireland (Catholics),’ pro-British (protestant) -wanting to remain within the United Kingdom; and Kirkuk (Kurds/Arabs/Turkmen).
During the conference, participants would share their experience with other cities in similar situations so that each can learn from other FCT members and show how to achieve common objectives. FCT is a grassroots organisation for municipalities their counterparts. There are 14 FCT cities and they include Londonderry, Belfast, Nicosia, Mostar, Sarajevo, Mitrovice, Tripoli (Lebanon), Beirut, Jerusalem (East Jerusalem-Palestinians and Israelis Jews), Kaduna (Christian/Muslim); Kirkuk (Kurds/Arabs/Turkmen), Ramallah (Fatah (secularists) &Hamas (conservative Muslims), Mitte, (Berlin) (Turkish migrants and Germans), Haifa (Palestinian-Israelis and Israeli Jews)
 At past conferences divided cities across the globe that share common behaviour characteristics irrespective of religion, ethnicity, race, language made commitments to work together. They all share these characteristics and can identify with each other in ways that normal cities cannot. At the forum, cities shared their narrative from all perspectives and this sharing enabled cities to identify with the experiences of others and provides a common bond serving as a starting point for them to work together. At end of the conference, each member city makes a commitment to either further reconciliation in its own city among its divided communities or to help another city on a lower rung of the transition ladder.
To ensure that FCT members take their commitments seriously they are enjoined to honour their pledges and those that fail are sanctioned. Cities that fail to complete their commitments for two consecutive years are dropped from membership of FCT. The FCT is outcomes based, and this objective links previous conferences with those hosted in another member city the following year.