The Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC) was founded in 1995 in Kaduna, Nigeria, directly in response to the escalating and often violent ethno-religious conflicts that plagued the state and the wider region. The most compelling aspect of its history is the personal journey of its co-founders: Imam Muhammad Ashafa and Pastor James Wuye. In their youth, both men were militant leaders opposing Christian and Muslim youth groups, respectively, and were deeply involved in the violent confrontations of the early 1990s.
The turning point was their eventual meeting, repentance, and decision to forge an unlikely friendship and partnership based on forgiveness and reconciliation. Recognizing that the cycle of violence was fueled by ignorance and mistrust, they established the IMC to institutionalize their personal transformation into a sustainable model for community peacebuilding. The center’s establishment was a profound grassroots initiative, using their credibility as former adversaries to mediate and promote trust between Christian and Muslim communities, with a goal of preventing the recurrence of religious violence.
Vision: IMC envisions a developed society that is free of violent ethno-religious and socio-political conflicts.
Mission: To promote the emergence of a peaceful society through non-violent and strategic engagement in Nigeria and beyond.
Activities and Services: The IMC employs a multifaceted approach to peacebuilding, focusing on dialogue, capacity building, and community engagement. Key activities include Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue sessions, which often involve Scriptural Reasoning to explore common values like hospitality and social justice found in both the Bible and the Quran, thereby breaking down stereotypes and fostering empathy. The center conducts extensive Capacity Building and Empowerment programs, training religious leaders, youth, women, and community members in conflict mediation, early warning/early response (EWER) mechanisms, and non-violent conflict transformation skills. These efforts extend to establishing structures like Conflict Mitigation and Management Regional Councils (CMMRCs) to institutionalize local peace efforts.
A significant pillar of the center’s work involves Advocacy and Media Dialogue. IMC runs regular Interfaith Media Dialogue programs on radio and television, providing a platform where prevailing issues threatening peaceful coexistence are discussed openly, often with scriptural support and interactive phone-in segments from the public. They have also used documentary films, such as “The Imam and the Pastor,” to showcase their story and the power of reconciliation to a wider audience, thereby promoting their model nationally and internationally. The center also actively engages in Conflict Prevention, Resolution, and Transformation through high-level mediation and grassroots intervention in crisis-affected areas across Nigeria, including the North East (e.g., Borno, Bauchi, Taraba and Yobe State), and other States like Plateau, Kano, Sokoto, Kogi, Benue, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Niger.
Future Objects: The IMC continues to expand its influence and services with notable future opportunities and expansion plans include:
