Save the Slum Initiative (STSI) understands that peace is not simply the absence of violence, but the presence of justice, inclusion, trust, and opportunity. In many parts of Nigeria, especially in urban slums, informal settlements, and conflict-affected communities, everyday life is shaped by tension, insecurity, and unresolved grievances. Poverty, displacement, competition over scarce resources, ethnic and religious divisions, youth unemployment, and weak governance often combine to fuel conflict at both community and household levels. STSI’s peacebuilding and conflict resolution work is grounded in the belief that sustainable development is only possible where communities are safe, cohesive, and able to resolve differences without violence.

Across Nigeria, protracted conflicts and localized violence have displaced millions of people and strained already fragile communities. In slum settlements and host communities where STSI operates, displaced families often live alongside long-term residents in overcrowded conditions, increasing pressure on land, water, housing, and jobs. These stresses can quickly escalate into mistrust, discrimination, and conflict, particularly when communities feel excluded from decision-making or access to services. STSI responds to these realities by addressing both the immediate drivers of conflict and the deeper social and structural factors that undermine peace.

STSI’s peacebuilding approach is community-centered and inclusive. The organization works closely with community leaders, women, youth, religious actors, and traditional institutions to strengthen dialogue, mutual understanding, and collective problem-solving. By creating safe spaces for conversation, STSI helps communities surface grievances, challenge harmful stereotypes, and rebuild trust across divides. Special attention is given to ensuring that women and young people—who are often most affected by conflict yet least heard—play active roles in peace processes.

A key focus of STSI’s work is conflict prevention and early response. Through community engagement, conflict mapping, and early warning initiatives, STSI supports communities to identify rising tensions before they escalate into violence. Community peace committees and trained volunteers are equipped to mediate disputes, facilitate dialogue, and promote non-violent responses to conflict. These local mechanisms help reduce reliance on force and strengthen community ownership of peace.

Youth engagement is central to STSI’s peacebuilding efforts. Many young people in slum and conflict-affected areas face unemployment, marginalization, and frustration, making them vulnerable to recruitment into violence or criminal activity. STSI works with youth to channel their energy into positive action through leadership development, civic engagement, livelihood pathways, and peace education. By supporting young people as peacebuilders rather than threats, STSI helps transform cycles of violence into opportunities for growth and cooperation.

STSI also integrates peacebuilding into its wider humanitarian and development programmes. Education, livelihoods, protection, climate resilience, and food security interventions are designed using conflict-sensitive and do-no-harm approaches. This ensures that assistance does not exacerbate existing tensions, but instead contributes to social cohesion and shared benefits. Where possible, STSI promotes joint community activities—such as shared learning spaces, environmental initiatives, and community projects—that bring diverse groups together around common goals.

Dialogue and mediation are supported by strong partnerships with local authorities, civil society organizations, and traditional and religious leaders. These partnerships help align community-level peace efforts with broader governance and justice systems, strengthening legitimacy and sustainability. STSI also advocates for inclusive policies and practices that address inequality, exclusion, and the root causes of conflict.

At its core, STSI’s peacebuilding and conflict resolution work is guided by respect for human dignity, human rights, and social justice. The organization recognizes that peace cannot be imposed from outside, but must be built patiently through trust, participation, and shared responsibility. By empowering communities to resolve conflicts peacefully and work together despite differences, STSI helps lay the foundation for stability, resilience, and long-term development.

Ultimately, Save the Slum Initiative envisions communities where diversity is a source of strength rather than division, where disputes are resolved through dialogue rather than violence, and where children and young people can grow up in safety and hope. Through community-led peacebuilding and conflict resolution, STSI contributes to a more peaceful, inclusive, and resilient Nigeria.