The usual quiet diplomacy of Geneva, Switzerland, was momentarily eclipsed by a different kind of voice: the urgent, lyrical sound of the Sahel.
At the heart of Geneva Peace Week 2025, a vital session titled “Poetry as Peace Praxis: Narratives of Hope from the Sahel” recast the global dialogue on conflict and displacement.
Organized by the Sahel Scribes Poetry Club (SSPC) and a coalition of formidable partners, the event was more than a literary reading; it was a transnational tapestry of shared humanity. Broadcast live from Geneva and streamed across continents—from London to Lagos, New York to Kano—it proved that in a fractured world, a poem can be the strongest glue.
The session began not with a lecture, but with a welcome from Abdulmalik Yahya (The Punsmith), founder and president of the Sahel Scribes, whose words set a clear intention: to use creativity as a form of peace-building.
The initial performance was a quiet storm. Sajuda Mahmud Isa delivered a seamless blend of Hausa and English, her verses were at once soft and relentless. She articulated the complex soul of the Sahel: a place marked by deep pain, yet bursting with indomitable persistence.
Two striking exhibitions followed; Alafia by Adesewa Alagbala, a gentle but firm meditation on feminine peace, and Canvas of Freedom by Lanre Sonde, an electrifying fusion of visual art and verse that championed liberation and resilience. The line between art and advocacy was intentionally blurred, showing poetry’s power as both a vessel for memory and a voice for the future.
The discussion panel, expertly steered by moderator Nankpak Cirfat, amplified the session’s core questions: How does African poetry foster solidarity? And, critically, how can poetry provide a platform for women in the Sahel to reclaim their narratives?
The co-organisers—including the Naija Poetry Fest Community (NPF), Connected Development (CODE), Mentminds, and the Arewa Peace Ambassadors Forum—underscored the participatory, communal nature of this “peace praxis.”
For panelist Godson Osarenren who highlighted the cultural resonance, “Poetry is used as a tool of solace in the Sahel. He added a potent observation: “Writing in local dialects carries a quiet rebellion against erasure.” The blend of Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and other Nigerian languages that permeated the session was, in itself, an act of resistance—a reclamation of identity through rhythm.
Echoing this focus on agency, peace advocate and UNICEF collaborator Safiya Alkali Ajikolo insisted, “Young people should be brought to the decision table. Sharing poems of hope allows others to understand their views and affirm solidarity.” For women, especially, social media offers a crucial stage. “Through social media, women can speak freely, be heard, and encouraged,” Osarenren added, reaffirming the theme that peace must begin with being seen and heard.
The event culminated in breakout sessions that transformed spectators into co-creators. Led by figures like Ambassador Nura Ali Abubakar (on understanding/coexistence), Lanre Sonde (on peace), Asem Martina Biankie (on tolerance), and Amina Halliru Isma’il (on justice), these groups co-authored verses, transforming shared traumas and hopes into lines of collective resilience. The resulting poetry will be compiled into an anthology, a lasting testament to this creative diplomacy.
As moderator Blessing Iyare skillfully connected voices across continents, the session closed with a single, undeniable truth: the hope emerging from the Sahel is not a whisper of wishful thinking; it is a song, a manifesto, a life lived. Through the brilliance of its poets, Nigeria once again stood tall among nations, proving that the arduous work of building peace can, indeed, begin with a single, heartfelt poem.
