Initiative Seeks to Combat Religious Discrimination Through Movie Screening

An initiative aimed at tackling religious discrimination and promoting freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) across Nigeria is employing creative media, including movie screenings, to achieve its goals. The Search for Common Ground Nigeria, through its Promoting and Protecting Freedom of Religion or Belief (Pp-FoRB) project, is actively working nationwide, recently engaging students in Yola, […]

An initiative aimed at tackling religious discrimination and promoting freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) across Nigeria is employing creative media, including movie screenings, to achieve its goals.

The Search for Common Ground Nigeria, through its Promoting and Protecting Freedom of Religion or Belief (Pp-FoRB) project, is actively working nationwide, recently engaging students in Yola, Adamawa State, with this innovative approach.

The project, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was established in response to past violations where individuals faced persecution for their beliefs.

Gaius Dachet, Pp-FoRB’s Religions Engagement Specialist, explained the initiative aims to build community mechanisms to identify rights violations, support victims, and raise public awareness.

Katlong Dasat, the Senior Media Officer for Pp-FoRB, elaborated on their strategy, emphasizing the use of art for advocacy. “We’re in Yola today to showcase a movie called ‘Bridging the Abyss’,” Dasat stated, highlighting how film educates young people on their fundamental human rights and empowers them to protect those rights, especially within the context of religion or belief.

She noted the project’s success in training lawyers and establishing referral pathways with national agencies like the National Human Rights Commission and the police. Dasat also pointed to their free, widely publicized toll-free hotline (080 000 2233), which has recorded instances of averted deaths and increased violation reporting.

A viewer, Hamidat Muhammad, shared her profound experience with the movie, which she described as “moving.”

She particularly resonated with its portrayal of young people actively rejecting division based on religion, even challenging older generations.

Muhammad expressed a mix of worry about rising online religious discord and hope, drawing optimism from personal experiences where friends navigated past conflicts towards greater harmony.

Dachet affirmed that while data still indicates persistent religious discrimination, there’s a significant increase in public awareness.

He concluded that this growing enlightenment is positively influencing the level of FoRB violations, fostering a climate where people are increasingly protecting each other’s rights.