+Portfolio of Solutions
―Mediation, Negotiation and Reintegration
Interfaith Mediation Centre
Imam Muhammad Ashafa & Pastor James Wuye
Founded by Ashoka Fellows Imam Muhammad Ashafa & Pastor James Wuye
The Problem
Religious differences sometimes result in extreme hate and violence. Due to limited conversations between people of different beliefs, these problems are rarely overcome, and misunderstandings easily develop into great conflicts between groups.
The Solution
The Interfaith Mediation Centre works in areas of peacebuilding with faith-based groups with the goal to limit small and large-scale conflicts and wars. The centre promotes community dialogue amongst conflicted groups through mediation, negotiation, interfaith media dialogue and training from peace advocates across Nigeria and beyond. With dialogue as their main tool, the Interfaith Mediation Centre promotes trust and tolerance between difference religious communities.
The Impact
Many conflict-prone communities have been addressed by the centre, which has resulted in peace agreements between conflicting groups. In total, the centre has carried out over 200 successful interventions on the local and global level, and they continue to mediation through ongoing projects in Nigeria, Sudan, Kenya and Chad.
Violence Prevention Network
Judy Korn
Founded by Ashoka Fellow, Judy Korn
The Problem
There is an increase of hate crime from right-wing extremists, but these are often left unaddressed. The conflicts are the result of a limited understanding of migrants and their circumstances.
The Solution
The Violence Prevention Network supports many different projects of counselling, training and outreach across Germany as well as internationally. The project addresses approaches by advice centres, counselling for school projects and training, one-to-one outreach and online outreach for and to possible extremists. The network is leading in bringing together a pan-European network for the prevention of extremism and deradicalisation at the European Commission Level.
The Impact
In 2016, the Violence Prevention Network had 68 staff members, who provided workshops, counselling and training courses to thousands of people. The network advised 123 institutions on topics of extremism – including those motivated by religion – and it has implemented adapted Violence Prevention Models to address conflicts in Northern Ireland.
Mobile School, StreetwiZe
Arnoud Raskin
Founded by Ashoka Fellow, Arnoud Raskin
The Problem
An estimated 150 million children and youth grow up in harsh conditions without a safe and caretaking environment. They live and work on the streets of big cities, are on the move from conflict or natural disasters or run away from socio-economic problems at home. For these children, the streets become their main learning environment, where they develop essential survival skills and build their identity. Non-formal education and outreach work are crucial to help them grow into positive contributors to society.
The Solution
Mobile School has developed an integrated outreach methodology to support street educators worldwide in unlocking the potential of these children in the environment where they feel most comfortable, the streets. Mobile School has developed innovative streetproof tools and methodologies to make education available anywhere. Initiated as part of StreetwiZe, the programme valorises talents and survival skills of street-connected children in 29 countries worldwide. Its pioneering outreach strategy shifts children’s attitudes away from assistance and towards empowerment.
The Impact
StreetwiZe invests 100% of their profit in Mobile School, co-creates the educational materials and relentlessly supports Mobile School by increasing its social impact. There are currently 56 mobile schools in 29 countries, through which the project has facilitated 76,209 contacts with street-connected children in 2018. That same year, the project reached the number of 190 trained street educators and facilitated a total of 163 workshops. These numbers are only expected to increase further.
Touché/RESCALED
Marjan Gryson
Founded by Ashoka Fellow, Marjan Gryson
The Problem
In Belgium, as in most prisons in Europe, prisoners live in poor conditions. The prison’s cells are overcrowded, and its infrastructure dilapidated. More often than not, prisoners share spaces with more dangerous inmates or those with psychiatric issues.
The Solution
Touché is a non-profit organisation that offers psychological support to prisoners who deal with aggression. Through solution-focused therapy, the project has developed a set of tools in collaboration with diverse therapists, consisting of group sessions, individual therapy, family sessions and exercises. The method helps prisoners re-channel aggression towards positive goals, a specific plan for success outside of prison and reintegration into society as full citizens. Focusing on transforming destructive and debilitating anger into positive activities, Touché educates a wider public to empathise, hence creating the right conditions for successful reintegration in society and reduction in recidivism and violence.
The Impact
Using a method to re-channel aggression in inmates throughout the Belgium prison system, opportunities are created for inmates to set positive goals, chart a course for a more constructive life outside of prison, and reintegration into society as full citizens. Focusing on transforming destructive and debilitating anger into positive activities, Touché educates a wider public to empathy and creates the conditions for more successful reintegration in society and reduction in recidivism and violence.