A strong partnership between FACIS and Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue in San Mateo, California, USA

4 May 2015

Forward Action for Conservation of Indigenous Species.(FACIS) is our Cooperation Circle of United Religions Initiative (URI) here in northern Nigeria's Bauchi State.  Our non-profit organization promotes quality health care,  environmental education and management, leadership development, and youth interfaith communication and cooperation.

Founded in 2008 as a youth group, we began supporting grassroots organizations and school groups in identifying, analyzing, and setting priorities for community-building and participatory  actions. 

By 2009 in Jos, Nigeria, we participated in the 1st International Conference on Youth and Interfaith Communication. where we were gifted DVDs with documentary films, DIALOGUE AT  WASHINGTON HIGH and PEACEMAKERS: Palestinians and Jews Together at Camp, both created by the Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue Group in the United States.

Home in Bauchi, we had new confidence to bring together local Muslim and Christian women and men to show those films and begin conversing in new ways. This also began our new, enduring  collaboration with the Living Room Dialogue people and other international partnerships including United Religions Initiative.

In 2010 we participated in the 2nd International Conference on Youth and Interfaith Communication, this time facilitated in Jos by traveling participants from the Jewish-Palestinian Living Room  Dialogue, thus deepening our partnership with them.  It was natural and practical to be guided by the same principles of living together that applies universally to relationships between diverse  citizens and with Earth herself.  

The Living Room Dialogue's next film based on that 2010 Jos gathering was DIALOGUE IN NIGERIA: Muslims & Christians Creating Their Future.  Inspired even more, our CC of FACIS has  initiated dialogue among local Muslims and Christians for both relationship healing and sustainable farming.  This has included composting and Christian-Muslim seed sharing - "Seeds for Peace." Our  Cooperation Circle continues to organize many face-to-face gatherings of diverse adults and youth - documented in photos and stories -- even in the hardest of times here in northern Nigeria.