Developing an inclusive research network to co-design livelihood recovery measures for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bradford
Department Name: Faculty of Management and Law
Abstract
In Nigeria, conflict triggers are multi-faceted, often overlap, and foster within a weakened web of fragile cultures and institutions. These conflicts take the form of pastoralists' vs farmers' clashes; ethnopolitical superiority and land disputes between tribes, e.g., the Jukuns and the Tivs; struggle for governmental and political representation between people of Christian and Islamic faiths; and activities of militant Islamist groups. Consequently, there are over 2.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria (IDMC, 2021). The management of IDPs is further challenged by resource availability and the poor understanding of IDPs' livelihood recovery needs.
This project seeks to develop a research network to work collaboratively and answer an overarching question: how can an innovative combination of livelihood studies, storytelling using participatory drama and risk management contribute to the inclusive development of culturally informed livelihood recovery measures for IDPs in Nigeria? The network combines an interdisciplinary core team and guest speakers within AHRC remit. The network will explore local cultures and communities through art-based methods to improve understanding of interconnecting conflict triggers and the intersection with livelihoods, and how these are layered and play out across time and in different contexts. The network also seeks to explore the use of participatory drama to provoke community-based discourse on the plight of IDPs, and how the concept of risk management can help mitigate vulnerabilities in the development of culturally-informed government policies on IDPs. The network addresses the cross-cutting themes of (1) conflict, (2) poverty and inequalities, and (3) displacement; and will contribute to the discourse and application of arts-based methods for the attainment of SDG 16 and the UN International Year of Peace and Trust commitments. Furthermore, the UNDP and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) have collaborated with the Nigerian Government to implement a joint protection and recovery strategy for North-East Nigeria. The network is well suited to this context and the choice of study domain, i.e., Taraba State (being a North-East state in Nigeria with one of the largest IDPs) is timely. The commitment of the Taraba State Government (TSG) to this project also promises collaborative and tangible outcomes.
Three activities were, co-developed by the network. For the first activity, monthly meetings between the core team will be organised to facilitate exchange of experiences. This will culminate into a series of 6 knowledge exchange public webinars, discussing triggers of conflict, the impact on livelihoods and the potentials of the performing arts to make visible the plights of IDPs. We will then run a series of workshops with IDPs in Taraba State which will explore the potentials of participatory drama to make visible the stories of IDPs and provoke discourse. The third activity will involve the co-development of a culturally informed IDPs' livelihood recovery policy framework with key stakeholders in a two-day workshop and using a risk-based approach to explore policy approaches with the TSG.
The network will produce evidence-based collaborative partnership for the application of performing arts-based methods in the attainment of developmental goals, including improving visibility to the IDP plights and facilitating the co-design of livelihoods recovery policies. Using the UNHCR and UNDP members of the network, we will also explore how the performing arts-based approach can be used in other contexts in West/Central African countries.
This project seeks to develop a research network to work collaboratively and answer an overarching question: how can an innovative combination of livelihood studies, storytelling using participatory drama and risk management contribute to the inclusive development of culturally informed livelihood recovery measures for IDPs in Nigeria? The network combines an interdisciplinary core team and guest speakers within AHRC remit. The network will explore local cultures and communities through art-based methods to improve understanding of interconnecting conflict triggers and the intersection with livelihoods, and how these are layered and play out across time and in different contexts. The network also seeks to explore the use of participatory drama to provoke community-based discourse on the plight of IDPs, and how the concept of risk management can help mitigate vulnerabilities in the development of culturally-informed government policies on IDPs. The network addresses the cross-cutting themes of (1) conflict, (2) poverty and inequalities, and (3) displacement; and will contribute to the discourse and application of arts-based methods for the attainment of SDG 16 and the UN International Year of Peace and Trust commitments. Furthermore, the UNDP and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) have collaborated with the Nigerian Government to implement a joint protection and recovery strategy for North-East Nigeria. The network is well suited to this context and the choice of study domain, i.e., Taraba State (being a North-East state in Nigeria with one of the largest IDPs) is timely. The commitment of the Taraba State Government (TSG) to this project also promises collaborative and tangible outcomes.
Three activities were, co-developed by the network. For the first activity, monthly meetings between the core team will be organised to facilitate exchange of experiences. This will culminate into a series of 6 knowledge exchange public webinars, discussing triggers of conflict, the impact on livelihoods and the potentials of the performing arts to make visible the plights of IDPs. We will then run a series of workshops with IDPs in Taraba State which will explore the potentials of participatory drama to make visible the stories of IDPs and provoke discourse. The third activity will involve the co-development of a culturally informed IDPs' livelihood recovery policy framework with key stakeholders in a two-day workshop and using a risk-based approach to explore policy approaches with the TSG.
The network will produce evidence-based collaborative partnership for the application of performing arts-based methods in the attainment of developmental goals, including improving visibility to the IDP plights and facilitating the co-design of livelihoods recovery policies. Using the UNHCR and UNDP members of the network, we will also explore how the performing arts-based approach can be used in other contexts in West/Central African countries.
| Description | A number of findings were made from the project objectives and fieldwork that was undertaken in Nigeria. We summarised the key findings from 3 key perspectives below which were also discussed with the wider network to expand the areas of research. 1 Our experience of the fieldwork. (a) We discovered unique contexts related to the role of community gatekeepers in the provision of research access to the IDPs, allowing for conversation to be hard and sometimes present a dominant/ imposing voice that needs to be carefully managed. (b) The scale of decay in the social systems that govern IDP issues. This includes the diversion of resources allocated to IDPs, the existence of vested interest of officials who want the issue to continue as they benefit from it, and reports of third-sector organizations also involved in unethical and corrupt practices We developed policy recommendations based on these findings. (c) We also reported the scale of the problem which provides an opportunity for further research and support and national and international levels. There are over 100,000 IDPs in and around Abuja- our study location, and over 2.4m across Nigeria. Displacement is mainly due to inter-communal violence, and the impacts of climate change and natural disasters. Profound impact on the lives and livelihoods of IDPs in the camps including issues related to: Protection, security, crime and conflict with the laws Housing and shelter (2nd order displacement) Livelihood support including access to education and vocational training, job opportunities, and financial support Health and nutrition including access to basic health services, clean water and sanitation, and nutritional Psychosocial related to emotional and psychological effects of displacement. Coordination and safeguarding issues 2. Methodological contributions Our method involves the use of Playback Theatre- a participatory performance methodology that involves creating a live, improvised theatrical performance based on personal stories shared by members of a community (Gonzalez et al., 2022). Our approach involved: -Story collection: sharing their personal stories, including narratives, songs, or dance. -IDPs performance preparation: The collected stories are used to prepare a performance by the IDPs themselves. -Performances: Across 4 public spaces including markets, and IDP camps. The IDPs use movement, dialogue, and music to bring the stories to life. -Reflection and discussion: After the performance, the audience and the IDPs are invited to reflect on the stories and the themes that emerged during the performance. Consequently, we reported key benefits of our methodological approach which include: -Engagement and participation: providing a platform for IDPs to actively participate in the research process and share their experiences in a meaningful way. -Understanding and empathy: we (the research team) and the public gained a deeper understanding of the experiences of IDPs and build empathy for their situation. -Empowerment and voice: allow IDPs to express themselves and their experiences, giving them a voice and a sense of empowerment. The method also allowed them to (1) clearly able to map out a pathway out of the IDP camps and towards sustainable livelihoods. (2) participants reported empowerment due to the approach -Exploration of sensitive issues: provided us with a way to explore sensitive and difficult topics, allowing for more nuanced and in-depth discussions. -Impactful representation: IDPs themselves provided a powerful and impactful representation of the experiences and provoked community discourse and advocacy work. 3. Impact of displacement on livelihoods: Through our work, we were able to thematically identify the impact and issues related to displacement and conflict intersection. As summarized below. We used these thematic findings in the development of our policy briefs which will be used during our engagement with policymakers in the next fieldwork in Nigeria -IDP identity (not registered nor officially recognised as an IDP) -A sense of lost time (up to 10 years of displacement) -Loss of livelihoods from displacement -Loss of breadwinner -Loss of ability to live life on own terms (dependent) -Stigmatised by the host community -Loss of educational opportunities -Difficulty in building savings -Lack of support (credit, government) -Lack of income/credit source to meet daily needs -No/poor access to health care for women and children -No/poor access to good sanitation -Gendered roles- as society defines what I can/not do -Youth engagement in social vices (drugs, prostitution) -Food insecurity -Poverty Thus far these findings relate to objectives 1 and 2. We anticipate that objective 3 will fully be achieved in the next fieldwork. |
| Exploitation Route | Our findings revealed the scale of IDPs problems in Nigeria which can be explored further from the perspectives of: -Protection, security, crime and conflict with the laws -Housing and shelter (2nd order displacement) -Livelihood support including access to education and vocational training, job opportunities, and financial support -Health and nutrition including access to basic health services, clean water and sanitation, and nutritional -Psychosocial related to emotional and psychological effects of displacement. -Coordination and safeguarding issues. Our methodological arts-based storytelling approach can also be used in other conflict-related research |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections,Security and Diplomacy |
| URL | https://www.idpresearchnetwork.com/ |
| Description | Research Impact Through the public performance that took place in 2022, the team have generated and provoked ongoing community discourse on the plight of the IDPs. The team have created an active network of CSOs and members of the press to advocate for governmental and non-governmental interventions. Provoking ongoing community discourse on the plight of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) has a significant impact on their situation. Through our work, we have been able to develop a sustained conversation about the challenges and needs of IDPs within a community. This has resulted in the propagation of awareness and helped to build empathy for the struggles faced by IDPs. This, in turn, can lead to increased support for programs and policies aimed at helping IDPs. Additionally, through the network of members of the press and community activists, the team ensured that there is an ongoing discourse to keep the issues of IDPs at the forefront of the public's attention. We anticipate that this will encourage policymakers and other stakeholders to prioritize the needs of IDPs and take action to address their challenges. The next stage of the project will leverage this network to develop policy propositions and a framework of interventions Furthermore, by creating a platform for the voices of IDPs to be heard, our work has empowered IDPs to advocate for themselves and helped to ensure that their concerns and perspectives are taken into account when decisions are being made that affect their lives. This ensured an increase in their agency and ability to influence decision-making processes that affect their lives. Our approach provided the IDPs with a platform that promoted a more inclusive and participatory decision-making process and can also help to ensure that the specific needs of IDPs are being addressed. Our IDP participants reported an increase in their confidence and resilience. By speaking up and asserting their rights using participatory drama, the IDPs developed a sense of agency and control over their lives, which is particularly important given the challenges and traumas that they have experienced. Through storytelling and self-reflection, the participants also report empowerment in the form of a sustainable and self-reliant approach to addressing their needs and developing sustainable livelihoods. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2022 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Government, Democracy and Justice,Security and Diplomacy |
| Impact Types | Societal |
| Description | A 5-day storytelling workshop culminating into 4 performances in Abuja Nigeria |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | 5-day workshop using participatory drama with the IDPs in Nigeria, culminating into 4 public performances to provide visibility to IDPs' stories, and provoking discourse. The performances served as a means of collecting data for the identification of livelihood capabilities needed to initiate a recovery process. Using the data from the workshops and performances, the team will co-develop livelihood recovery policy framework with key stakeholders by taking a risk-based approach to explore policy approaches with the TSG. Research Impact Through the public performances, the team have generated and provoked ongoing community discourse on the plight of the IDPs. The team have created an active network of CSOs and members of the press to advocate for governmental and non-governmental interventions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.idpresearchnetwork.com/event-details/5-day-storytelling-and-performance-workshop |
| Description | Climate Traps and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A member of the research team wrote a blog about the problem context of the research which was published on the project website. This resulted in many inquiries about developing a forum for discussing possible solutions which will be factored into the next few webinar schedules. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.idpresearchnetwork.com/post/climate-traps-and-internally-displaced-persons-idps |
| Description | In Person networking event- Inclusive development of livelihood recovery measures for Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | In this event we will reflect on recent fieldwork in Abuja, Nigeria, discussing our experiences, methodology, and initial findings. The event allows local academics and practitioners in Nigeria to have an insight into the art-based approach used in the project and how this can be continuously used to support the IDPs' recovery in Nigeria. The participants gained insight into taking a non-governmental self-reliant approach to support IDP livelihood recovery capital. The event was scheduled as follows: Workshop Agenda 9.30am to 10.00am: Arrivals and networking. Hot drinks will be served 10.00am to 10.45am: A hybrid conversation with in-person attendees and Nigerian partners about the journey of the project thus far. 10.45am to 11:00: Tea break 11.00am to 12pm: Our method, experience and initial findings: an exploration of intersections. 12pm to 1pm: Lunch break and networking 1pm to 2pm: Exploration of our risk-based approach to policy proposition |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Press engagement |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | During the November 2022 fieldwork, the team took the opportunity to engage with members of the press and provide publicity of the IDP's plight in line with the project objectives. Through the press engagement, communities had the opportunity to engage with advocacy discourse and to understand the triggers of conflict, how they intersect and the impact on the livelihoods of people. Impact -Informed and educated different groups about the complicated plight of IDPs in Nigeria and contentious issue of conflicts and their impact on communities -Empowered the audience to contribute to ongoing public debates -Inspired and generated interest of CSOs and community activists new ideas and methods of engaging with IDPs -Gained public support for research, developments, discoveries and ideas, and generate a network of local actors |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.idpresearchnetwork.com/post/press-engagement-and-idp-s-advocacy-works |
| Description | The intersection of conflict and livelihood of Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria- Webinar presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A webinar was hosted by the project partner-The Kukah Centre, with talks from Dr Fr Atta Barkindo and Most Reverend Matthew Hassan Kukah, the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto in Northwest Nigeria. With their decades of experience working with victims of conflict in Nigeria, Bishop Kukah and Fr Barkindo provided an in-depth analysis of how the multi-dimensional conflict affects the livelihood of Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria. The discussion was delivered against the purview of conflict management vis-a-vis the advocacy programs done by the Centre. This offered an opportunity for The Centre to articulate applicable measures that have been applied to mitigate the effects of conflict on IDPs and to explicate its past and previous engagement in terms of its advocacy programs. The impact of the webinar is that participants were able to explore the conflict mitigation strategies and the issues discussed and also come to the knowledge of the advocacy engagements of the Centre. This allowed the propagation of discourses around the conception of conflict as a surmountable problem with discussions and questions focusing on solving conflict-related issues |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Webinar-Building community resilience through cultural heritage |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | The webinar discussion was led by three academic panellists including Professor Paul Cooke from the University of Leeds who specialises in the politics of representation and voice. Paul gave a flavour of some of the work that has been undertaken in this project, focussing in particular on the ways in which, and the value of, youth accountability has been increasingly foregrounded over the course of the project. Dr. Okafor Christian from the Sahel Resilience Advisor for UN-Habitat in Nigeria and talked about the multi-sectoral areas of developing and implementing competitive and innovative approaches to Policies, Physical Planning, IDPs/ Refugees-Host communities cohesion, and resilience, Post-Conflict Reconstructions. Finally, Prof Owen Greene, a Professor of International Security and Development, and Director of Research and Innovation, at the Dept of Peace Studies and International Development, talked about his AHRC-funded programme piloting an innovative approach to enhancing the resilience and well-being of displaced or divided communities through enhanced access to their varied cultural heritage using VR and other digital technologies, working with refugee- affected communities in Northern Jordan. A total of 88 people attended the webinar and participated in questions and discussions afterwards. Many of the participants from the third sector organisation later reported that they gain new knowledge about the art-based approaches to engaging with developmental issues |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.idpresearchnetwork.com/post/10-tips-on-how-to-kick-start-the-new-school-year |
| Description | Webinar-Theme: Intersection between Conflict, Mental Health, and Peacebuilding |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Decades of armed conflict in Northeast Nigeria has left over 2 million of people displaced and seeking refuge in camps across the country. Consequently, as part of this project, a team of academic researchers and industry practitioners have collaborated to explore arts-based approach to the development of livelihood recovery for internally displaced persons (IDPs). The theme of the discussion was "the intersection between Conflict, Mental Health and Peace Building". The aim of the webinar was to develop a deeper understanding of previous experiences where art-based approaches were used to explore triggers of conflict, and sustainable and inclusive ways to tackle such conflicts. Three expert panellists led the conversation anchored by the project lead Assoc. Prof. Ambi Ambituuni. These include Professor Prathivadi Anand Head of Department of Peace Studies and International Development and a specialist in environmental economics and public policy; Professor Ananda Breed a professor in Theatre and Professor Tim Prentki who's the world's first Professor of Theatre for Development. Professor Anand steered the conversation and emphasised how to pursue sustainability objectives in the midst of conflict. He averred that creating overlapping institutions and broadening civic spaces for more dialogue can address issues of legitimacy around common resources management to sustainably manage conflict triggers. Professor Ananda submitted that entertainment plays a significant role in fostering new relationships; as by merely observing what people do, behaviours are shaped. Also, bringing arts into peacebuilding process helps in improving mental health problems that accompany most conflict situations such as displacement. Bringing us to the idea of relational empathy which can be used in solving diverse social problems such as conflict and livelihood challenges. Prof. Ananda added that language use and the framing of issues such as the use of proverbs can promote peace building efforts. Professor Prentki, summed up by drawing from Nussbaum's work on gender and the dignity that comes with free citizenship and stated that one of her ten essential elements for a good human life-the role of play and the ability to play laugh and enjoy recreational activities is important in this context. Promoting play and recreation helps in 'healing the wounds' of conflict. Such an environment of play can promote the inclusion of all groups to ensure all voices are heard in a development setting. The webinar lasted one hour and had over 50 people in attendance across different countries. Following the knowledge exchange webinar, participants including practitioners have fed back that they have begun to explore some of the methodology used by the panellist in their engagement with IDPs in Nigeria. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.idpresearchnetwork.com/post/10-tips-on-how-to-kick-start-the-new-school-year |
| Description | Webinar-Voice, Agency and Accountability |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Professor Jane Plastow presented her AHRC and British Academy-funded projects exploring using the arts in relation to gender and reproductive health education in Jinja, and working with doctors on an MRC funded project to use video to explore whether fact or fiction films engage audiences most in discussing contraception in Uganda. She also discussed her work in neighbouring Kenya where she led projects training teachers to make video films with pupils, and used theatre to research grassroots understandings of problems with state provision of maternity services. The impact of the work reported sparked questions and discussions during and after the webinar with many researchers exploring the impact of the methodology used. There was also some critical discussion about how the views of the general public is shaped by the outcome of such approaches. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |