Obaji (right) stressing a point to members of thee CJTF during an introductory session on HRE in Maiduguri
Leaders and sector commanders of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), a group of loosely organized vigilantes fighting the Islamist group, Boko Haram, have been lectured on Human Rights Education (HRE) by activist, Philip Obaji.
Fifteen top members of the group including acting chairman, Bashehu Abdulganiyu and secretary, Babagana Usman, participated in an introductory session facilitated by Obaji in Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria’s north-eastern Borno state. A full training program for the same participants will be held in 2017.
“For today, we just wanted them to understand what Human Rights Education is about and the importance of building a culture of human right,” Obaji said. “Next year, there will be a full training program aimed at building their capacity to carryout effective human rights education within their group.”
Next year’s training program which will be facilitated by Obaji, will be based on the Learning Spiral model, which integrates both content and process through the use of a participatory approach. The model will provide participants with the opportunity to practice their skills in the learning context in order to apply them in action.
The emphasis throughout the Program will be on critical analysis, reflection, and practical application leading to the development of strategies for future action.
Obaji, who will be the program facilitator, is an alumnus of the International Centre for Human Rights Education (EQUITAS), Montreal, Canada. He is known for his activism for rights to education for children, especially in north-eastern Nigeria where a 7-year-old insurgency has led to the conscription and abuse of thousands of kids both by Boko Haram and the CJTF.
The 31-year-old author is the winner of the 2014 Future Awards Africa Prize in Education, and the 2015 Future Awards Africa Prize for Young Person of the Year. Early this year he was listed among 100 most influential Nigerians by internet newspaper, YNaija.
Fifteen top members of the group including acting chairman, Bashehu Abdulganiyu and secretary, Babagana Usman, participated in an introductory session facilitated by Obaji in Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria’s north-eastern Borno state. A full training program for the same participants will be held in 2017.
“For today, we just wanted them to understand what Human Rights Education is about and the importance of building a culture of human right,” Obaji said. “Next year, there will be a full training program aimed at building their capacity to carryout effective human rights education within their group.”
Next year’s training program which will be facilitated by Obaji, will be based on the Learning Spiral model, which integrates both content and process through the use of a participatory approach. The model will provide participants with the opportunity to practice their skills in the learning context in order to apply them in action.
The emphasis throughout the Program will be on critical analysis, reflection, and practical application leading to the development of strategies for future action.
Obaji, who will be the program facilitator, is an alumnus of the International Centre for Human Rights Education (EQUITAS), Montreal, Canada. He is known for his activism for rights to education for children, especially in north-eastern Nigeria where a 7-year-old insurgency has led to the conscription and abuse of thousands of kids both by Boko Haram and the CJTF.
The 31-year-old author is the winner of the 2014 Future Awards Africa Prize in Education, and the 2015 Future Awards Africa Prize for Young Person of the Year. Early this year he was listed among 100 most influential Nigerians by internet newspaper, YNaija.
Obaji (with a green cap) in a group photograph with leaders and commanders of the CJTF
