You can participate by telling others about us, and the people we support. You can also help by making a donation of any amount towards our projects.
READ MOREWe try as much as possible to generate funds through community events , but most of our work is underpinned by the generosity and kindness of individuals and institutions. You can help to promote peace and reconciliation, reduce poverty, improve livelihoods, inspire hope and dignity by making cash donations of any amount or by sparing us some of your time as a friend of Caprecon.
Donations can be made online, and are processed through our PayPal account. Alternatively, cheques and postal orders made payable to Caprecon can be sent to our address below: CAPRECON, 18 ARRAN COURT. LUTON. BEDS, ENGLAND. LU1 1QU
You can become a friend of Caprecon by supporting our work and actively taking part in our events . We welcome everyone, especially those with administrative, organisational and IT skills.
Become A Friend of Caprecon
CAPRECON is a not-for-profit and non governmental organisation dedicated to Poverty Alleviation, Conflict Management & Transformation, Peacebuilding, Community and Youth Development, Education and Training, Humanitarian Assistance, Reconciliation & Post- Conflict Recovery /Stabilisation. It was founded in 2010 in response to the growing instability and violent conflicts engulfing parts of Nigeria, the Niger Delta region in particular, and in line with a conviction that non-violent means of resolving potentially violent conflicts and sustainable development must be pursued to bring about peace and reconciliation between and within communities. Moreover, the encouragement of basic rights and justice everywhere (in order to prevent conflict) is an underpinning motivation for its creation.
Peaceful co-existence within and between communities everywhere; where everyone lives in dignity and meets their basic needs.
To promote peace-building, conflict resolution/transformation and reconciliation through dialogues, peace education amongst other sources and strategies. And to advance human rights, development and poverty reduction.
To research into the sources of conflict, including the dynamics and forces sustaining them, in order to develop a means of forestalling, resolving or transforming such effectively.
We aim to help a number of children and young people, especially orphans, from marginalised communities; from communities emerging out of conflict, including those trapped in refugee camps to attain primary/secondary education. We would do this in genuine partnership with reliable on-the-ground organisations working for sustainable development and education.
Sadly, children in most parts of the developing world are denied the benefit of education for a number of reasons, including systemic and institutional neglect, chronic poverty, being orphaned, early forced marriage for girls, low quality of education deriving from inadequate teacher training and violent conflict which disrupts learning.
In most cases, children are sucked into conflict as child soldiers which derail their education. But chronic poverty is by far the largest hindrance to children’s education. Children in places with entrenched poverty drop out of school to fend for themselves.
They do hazardous jobs, including scavenging for junks amidst soggy garbage at dump sites which they sell for meagre sums to pay for cheap and less nutritious food, and to supplement their parents’ paltry incomes.
Disturbingly, parents in the grip of unrelenting poverty remove their children from school as they are unable to afford the cost. This agonising choice thwarts their development and perpetuates the poverty cycle. Moreover, early poverty, as it is well known, damages cognitive development.
We will be promoting the imperativeness of incorporating Peace Education in the national education curriculum of countries prone to conflict, through our PE campaign. We would run seminars and workshops in schools to be known as Peace Talk with Tomorrow’s Leaders (PETTL). The aim is to inculcate a culture of peace in the minds of young people, and help prevent future violent conflicts.
Here at home in the East of England, we hope to introduce a social enterprise approach to community development. We would provide a range of training-the-trainer courses at affordable cost in Peer Mediation, Conflict Resolution in Schools, Human Rights Education, Non Violence. The proceeds from such would be channelled into education, youth development, poverty alleviation and community cohesion projects, including Leadership and Entrepreneurial skills.
We aim to assist a number vulnerable people, including widows, orphans and rape victims, people with HIV, in conflict-prone rural communities in Africa to rebuild their lives. Working with reliable on-the-ground partners, we would assist them with cash grants to set up small scale businesses and be able to generate income; put food on the table and send their children to school. We would also carry out a number of disease prevention campaigns in rural communities in a number of African countries.
We supported a few budding entrepreneurs to set up small scale businesses and generate income, particularly in Nigeria where there is debilitating unemployment and poverty.
A couple of our female beneficiaries acquired sewing machines for mending or making dresses for which they charge small fees. Others have set up business as food and provision sellers. One young man acquired a second-hand motorcycle to transport people and goods within his community; and charges affordable fares. Some took up beauty courses and have become hairdressers; specialising in braiding, beautiful extensions and barbering. One acquired a camera and now makes an income as an amateur events photographer, while another runs a craft stall in a local market.
You would be amazed at how small measures like these transform lives in the developing world; especially in societies emerging out of conflict and natural disasters.
What is more, our beneficiaries become equipped with self-worth, lead more productive and fulfilled lives. They are also empowered to reduce poverty in their communities by employing others.
We also supported a partner organisation in Kenya with small cash donation towards their Infant Education and HIV Awareness programmes.
Caprecon is a small and relatively new organisation. Our funds are self-generated and projects are self-funded. Imagine how many lives we could transform with your support.
IPC- International Peace Commission
Headquarters: Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
Secretariat Office: New York
Head Office: London
Scotia Works, Leadmill Road, Sheffield - S1 4SE
5 Caledonian Road, London - N1 9DY.
P.O.BOX 25067, Seattle, WA 98165. Fax +1 (425) 491-7070
208- 1875 Landsdowne Road, Victoria, B.C . Canada. V8P 1A9
www.efpinternational.org1023 15th Street NW, 12th Floor, Washington DC 20005
www.globalgiving.orgMA, LLM, FRSA
Founder and Executive Director of Caprecon. His areas of expertise include post- Conflict Stabilisation and Reconstruction, Poverty Alleviation, Youth Employment, Community Development, Rights of Minority Groups, Refugee flows, Displacement, Humanitarian/ Psychosocial Assistance.
He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), Member of the International Bar Association (Human Rights group) He is a member of Rotary Club, Luton Sommeries. (International Committee) He is a volunteer with the British Red Cross, Luton. (Refugees and Humanitarian Assistance Group) Dollin is a panel member of the Youth Justice Panel, Luton.
He works as an Adviser with Luton Jobcenteplus, Beds, England. His role, amongst others, is diagnosing the employments needs of clients and moving them closer to sustainable work.
He has attended and completed numerous courses (including online training) in Conflict Analysis, Mediation , Interfaith Conflict Resolution , Peace Education, and Reconciliation, Conflict Transformation/Resolution, Non Violence, post-Conflict Stabilisation/Reconstruction and Promoting Livelihoods in Conflict Affected Environments. He is an alumni of the Centre for Stabilisation and Reconstruction Studies, Naval Post Graduate School Monterey, California, USA, International Peace and Development Training Centre (IPDTC) & Peace Action, Training and Research Institute, Romania (PATRIR) He holds an Advanced Diploma in Post War Reconstruction jointly awarded by Studi Di Politica Internationale, (IPSI) Milan, Italy and Post War Reconstruction Unit of the University of York.
Dollin has post-graduate qualifications in International Human Rights Law, (LLM) Refugee Studies/Forced Migration (MA) and Media Studies (MA by research) from the universities of East London and Bedfordshire respectively.
Dollin has travelled widely in Europe, USA and Africa attending seminars and workshops, and working with grassroots organisations in conflict affected communities.
James is a social scientist who specialises in analysing and disseminating information on global conflicts to politicians, policy makers, laypersons, and key stakeholders in humanitarian organisations. He has worked at a number of leading policy institutes including Asylum Aid, the Centre for Social and Economic Inclusion and the Reform Policy Institute.
James holds a bachelor’s degree in Politics and History, which he obtained from De Montfort University in Leicester; and a master’s degree in Social Science Research Methods and Policy Analysis from Cardiff University in Wales. He has a thorough knowledge of both qualitative and quantitative research methods and has direct experience of conducting in-depth interviews, focus groups, large scale surveys and statistical data analysis.
Kate is a founding member of Caprecon. She graduated with a law degree (LLB) from the University of Benin in 2006, and a Bachelor of Law Certificate (B.L) from the Nigerian Law School, Abuja in 2007. She currently holds a Master of Law degree (LLM) from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
Emran is the Financial Secretary at Caprecon. A former mortgages and financial planning adviser with HSBC, Emran holds a Bachelors degree in Business and Marketing from the University of Bedfordshire. Emran has been involved in various charity works, including Umnah Welfare.
Lucy is Publicity and Admin Assistant at Caprecon. She holds a BSc in Marketing and Advertising Communication from the University of Bedfordshire. She speaks fluent French and is keenly interested in Fashion and Designing.
A qualified teacher, Philip holds a BA Degree in Economics and Diplomas in Project Management, Project Writing and Accounting. He has attended various training courses, seminars and workshops on Human Rights, Cultural Diplomacy and Governance. With years of experience in NGO management, Philip has been actively involved with various international organisations and bodies, including Teachers Without Borders, Caritas Forum International, Ariel International Foundation and Safer World for Women.
Nordine is a senior pastor at In His Worship Ministry, and an experienced foster carer. She is the Executive Director of Centre of Hope and Hope Centre for Orphans and Vulnerable Children. ( both are children’s charities based in the UK and Ghana respectively)
Nordine has qualifications in theology, management and early childhood education obtained from Hampstead Bible School, The Open University and the former North London University.
Cheryl is the Project Co-ordinator at CRESST (Conflict Resolution Education Training in Sheffield Schools). A teacher for over 30 years, Cheryl has always been interested in teaching life skills to children and young people.
Cheryl has worked for CRESST from the early stages of its creation and has designed and delivered its Conflict Resolution Education and Peer Mediation training programmes in schools and to other organisations.
Catherine is the CEO of Cerulean Blue Consulting and Founder/Director of Acres of Mercy, Kenya, a Christian charity dedicated to Education – improving literacy levels through early childhood education and adult literacy; Community Mobilisation and Empowerment and HIV/AIDS interventions. Catherine graduated from the University of East London in 2003 with a degree in Business Administration.
Ahmed is a board-certified psychiatrist and director of a training programme in mental health in Abbassia hospital for mental health, a state-run hospital affiliated to the ministry of health. Ahmed is actively involved psycho-social support during emergencies. Ahmed lives in Cairo, Egypt.
B.E, MSc Computer Science
Senior IT Professional in project management and multimedia design/development. Strong management background with strong interpersonal skills. Excellent presentation and communications. Proven capabilities include: “Hands-on” project management. Effective at arranging resources and managing multiple small to large scale projects in cross-functional environments. Can interface with multiple internal and/or external organizations. Technical leadership - Broad technical expertise spanning all current programming languages, databases, operating systems and network.
Network Operating Systems (Microsoft, Linux, Apple)
Routing (RIP/2, TCP/IP; W/LAN/VLAN)
Knowledge of Middleware Citrix
XHTML, HTML5, CSS3
Knowledge of PHP, JavaScript
Database design, phpMyAdmin
Google Analytics, Webmaster Tools
Social media marketing, SEO
Social media project development
Knowledge of CMS maintenance
Project planning and management
Team leadership and team building
Knowledge of Prince2, PMBOK
Photoshop, Macromedia Flash, Dreamweaver
Poverty is simply the state of being poor. That is, having little no means of survival. For example, having no food, shelter, clothes, basic health care, education and other means of improving one’s life. Poverty occurs in both developed and developing countries, although it is much more widespread in the latter; especially in countries prone to disasters, (man made or natural) epidemic diseases and relentless violent conflicts. The causes of poverty are manifold. They can result from political, societal and economic factors such as lack of educational facilities, unemployment, social collapse, deprivation, institutional neglect, the occurrence of violent conflicts, corruption, inequalities and much more. Rural dwellers in developing countries can be adversely affected by poverty engendered by a number of debilitating factors such as those mentioned above, including climate change, wars and conflicts, famine, lack of education, healthcare, HIV and so on and so forth.
Poverty alleviation measures are therefore intended to raise the material level of living and improving the conditions of people who are miserably poor.
At Caprecon, we believe in inspiring people imprisoned by poverty to secure their freedom from it. We encourage and support them to transcend their circumstances and live in dignity.
Our poverty alleviation initiatives include the provision of small grants and loans to individuals or groups to set up small scale businesses and improve their living conditions.
We encourage women to avail themselves of this opportunity in view of our commitment to gender equality and our belief that the empowerment of women is a significant poverty alleviation strategy.
With your help and contributions, we can also provide modest amount of cash to rural farmers to procure basic farming and agricultural tools and seeds to grow their own food, increase their income by selling food products and be able to send their children to school.
We believe that the provision of training and education (as human capital) is an important poverty reduction approach. And so, we are committed to awarding modest cash grants to support children from deprived homes, children whose education has been disrupted by incessant violent conflicts and other tragic circumstances to attain basic standard of education, learn a variety of skills needed in their communities such as building trades; plumbing, electrician; well-drilling; farm and transport mechanical skills, etc.
We are very keen in this regard to improve the educational standard of female children because of our commitment to gender equality and our acknowledgement of education for women as an important poverty reduction initiative.
Finally, as advocates for rural health development, we support local organisations with small cash grants to carry out Rural Health Projects to bring about improvements in the health levels of rural people. Owing to the exodus of healthcare providers to urban areas, there is often a shortage of services and health related information which adversely affects rural populations in terms of life expectancy, morbidity and mortality.
Our proposed HEALTH WATCH project to be run by trained local volunteers will cover a wide range of subjects including basic health care, hygiene and HIV prevention and management.
‘If we wish to remove an effect, its cause has to be eliminated. To establish peace in the world, the methods of education must be changed so that future generations are imbued with a spirit of unity and concord and warned against estrangement.’ - A. Furutan, Story of My Heart
‘If we are to reach real peace in the world, we shall have to begin with the children.’ - Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
The world is today witnessing crisis situations of all type, leading perilously to instability and unimaginable human suffering. We are confronted with incessant natural disasters, famine, food shortages, unmitigated poverty, inter-ethnic tension, intractable conflicts, violent extremism, political upheavals and episodic outbursts of violence across the world, just name it. Natural catastrophes apart, nearly of all these problems reflect, as have been suggested, a world afflicted by the diseases of disunity, intolerance, bitterness, indifference. And to add, hitherto suppressed, but deep-rooted hatred resulting from unmet needs, unaddressed social and historical injustice. What is more worrying however, is the prevalence of inherent conflict-based, as opposed to peace -based worldview. (1)
There is a danger that the situation may perpetuate if we do not address a fundamental question. That is, would our younger generation and leaders of tomorrow be afflicted with the above conditions, especially the chronic disease of inherent conflict-based worldview? And if so, is intervention in the form of education to help instil a culture of peace or peace-based worldview in our young people, and lay the foundation for a civilisation of unity in diversity , a necessity? Yes, we think it is. This is our motivation for promoting Education for Peace or peace education, and advocating for its inclusion in the national curriculum of schools and higher institutions everywhere.
Peace education has been recognised by the United Nations through numerous declarations and statements as a significant approach in helping to build a future free from violent conflicts. It can be understood as a process of acquiring the values, knowledge, and of developing the skills, attitudes and behaviours necessary for living in harmony with oneself, with others, and with the natural environment. Others have described it as a series of teaching engagements that elicit from people ‘ the desire for peace, non violent alternatives for managing conflict and the skills for critical analysis of structural arrangements that produce and legitimises injustice and inequality.’ (2) According to James Page, peace education should be viewed ‘as encouraging a commitment to peace as a settled disposition and enhancing the confidence of the individual as an individual agent of peace; as informing the student of the consequences of war and social injustice; as informing the student of the value of peaceful and just social structures… and as encouraging the student to love the world and to imagine a peaceful future; and as caring for the student and encouraging the student to care for others.’ (3)
From the early the 20th Century onwards, peace education has been linked thematically with anti-nuclearism, international understanding, environmental responsibility, non violence, conflict resolution techniques, good governance and democracy, human rights, gender equality, including a spiritual dimension espousing inner peace and harmony and so on. Of these variations however, conflict resolution training, democracy training and human rights education has been quite common, although new approaches interrogating their theoretical underpinnings are emerging. The most significant of these is the notion of peace education as a process of worldview transformation; which is at the core of the EFP Integrative Curriculum developed by Education For Peace International.
The EFP Integrative Curriculum, which we hope to incorporate in our training programme derives from the integrative theory of peace foregrounded in peace scholarship by Danesh et al. It proposes that there is a correlation between our worldviews and our attitudes towards unity or conflict. How we conceptualise and promote peace and unity or legitimise violent conflict is dependent upon our worldviews. According to this thesis, embedded in each of us, whether as individuals or groups, are worldviews that develop over time, shaped by our environments, life experiences, cultural norms, belief system, family dynamics, education, history and so on. ‘ It is the mental framework within which individuals and groups interpret the nature of reality, the nature and purpose of life, and the laws governing human relationships. Worldviews are shaped by our life experiences and they reshape our approach to life.’ (4) Consequently, our worldview may orient us towards justifying violent conflicts as a means of survival and establishing group identity or orient us towards embracing a culture of peace in the context of unity in diversity. How we relate to the other, the world and how we build relationships is determined by our worldview and it is a powerful medium. Our worldviews as individuals or group evolve at the same time our consciousness develops, and are fed and shaped by an accumulation of life experiences.
According to Danesh, the earlier stages of human development is characterised by conflict-based attitudes and behaviours, while unity-based attitudes and behaviours are manifested in the later phases of healthy human development. Therefore, peace education ought to focus on the healthy development and growth of human consciousness by helping people to examine and transform their worldviews. Danesh argues further that most people and societies in the world hold conflict based worldviews which is manifested in conflicted intrapersonal, interpersonal, intergroup and international relationships. Conflict-based worldviews are in two categories within the human development phases and they are the survival-based and identity based worldviews. It is through the acquisition of a more integrative, Unity-based worldview that our capacity to mitigate conflict, create unity in the context of diversity, and bring about sustainable peace, is enhanced, whether at home, school, the workplace or in the international community.
Furthermore, the EFP curriculum is modelled after the universal principles of peace which states that ‘humanity is one, the oneness of humanity is expressed in the context of diversity; unity in diversity is the prerequisite for peace; and peace requires the ability to prevent and resolve conflict without resorting to violence.’ The curriculum hinges on the premise also that an effective and sustainable peace education ought to focus on all aspects of human life including the intellectual, emotional, social, political, moral and spiritual. According to Danesh et al, it is ‘a a humanising process with its ultimate aim to create a civilisation of peace.’ (5) )
In a nutshell, the EFP curriculum, according to Danesh, is based on three premises: (a) unity, not conflict, is the main force in human relationship; (b) worldview is the main framework within which all human individual and group behaviour takes shape; (c) peace is the main outcome of a unity based worldview. (6)
We aim through our training proghrasmme to help young people examine and understand themselves and others, and to transform their worldview in the context of how they relate to their communities, the nation and to the world. We aim to inculcate in the mindset of younger generations the values of non violence, conflict resolution and win- win scenarios, love, tolerance, dialogue, reconciliation, respect for rule of law, respect for human rights and dignity and, most importantly, peaceful coexistence in the context of unity in diversity.
We would be focusing on those in primary and secondary education especially from conflict prone societies or societies emerging out of conflict. Along with training individuals to become Education for Peace Trainers, There would be a series two-day programmes such as classroom discussions, workshop activities, role plays, poetry-reading and story-telling and other learning styles with themes built around the values mentioned above.
Working with local educators, our partners, APRDD- INKINGI (Association Pour la Paix, la Reconciliation et le Development Durable, Bujumbura, Burundi) and officials from the Education Ministry, we would be launching our first education for peace training programme in Bujumbura, Burundi hopefully in January 2012. To this end, we would be relying enormously on the generosity of the International Education for Peace Institute to help develop a programme for training groups of individuals as Education for Peace Trainers or Leadership for Peace Trainers.
While we welcome all other approaches to promoting peace education, the EFP curriculum has been adopted because it has been implemented in schools in parts of the world, including the Balkans, especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is considered a most effective approach to peace education in that it aims to help students to develop a unity-based, rather than conflict-based worldview that is prevalent in schools everywhere. According to Danesh, ‘ there is now a considerable evidence that the curriculum has demonstrated its capacity and effectiveness for creating a culture of peace , a culture of healing a culture of excellence in the participating school communities.’ (ibid)
1. Danesh, B.H. (2011) Inferred from written comments to participants at the end of first EFP course 2. Harris, Ian and Synott, John (2002) Peace Education for a New Century Social Alternatives 21(1): 3-6 3. Page, James S. (2008) Peace Education: Exploring Ethical and Philosophical Foundations: p.189 4. Danesh, H.B. Journal of Peace Education, Volume 5, Issue 2 September 2008, pages 157-173 5. ibid
These are not easy times for young people in most communities around the world. A growing number of these, especially in poorer and conflict affected countries in Africa and elsewhere, are underemployed, unemployed or unemployable. Many face an unsettling prospect of never finding formal work or developing a work ethic. This is due to a combination of factors, including the global economic downturn, institutional neglect, poor governance, widespread corruption, poverty, socio-economic collapse and the destruction of infrastructural facilities for education in countries emerging out of conflict. All of these lead to a shortage of employment, education and training opportunities. With an ever increasing number of disaffected young people roaming the streets in most places, there could be potential consequences. These may include an increase in crime, threat to social cohesion and prolongation of instability in fragile or post conflict societies. But taking proactive steps, and with some developmental intervention in place, this could be prevented.
At Caprecon, we firmly believe that training and education is the bedrock of youth development and a major prerequisite for sustainable living. And what is more, it is integral to conflict prevention and peace-building.
With your support, we can help young people develop confidence, resilience, realise their potentials and make informed choices about their future. We can also help instil work ethics, leadership and entrepreneurial skills through our bespoke training courses. Engaging young people this way, as evidence shows, lures them away from crime and behaviours detrimental to social cohesion, peace and public order. Moreover, they would be able to engage positively with, and contribute to the development of their communities.
We are under no illusion about the challenges of tackling youth unemployment, but it is not insurmountable. With your help and support, it can be done.
We will be running the following peace-building and development training courses for young people and interested individuals in the very near future:
Peace Education
Conflict Resolution Education
Peer Mediation Education
Human Rights Education (seeking accreditation)
Leadership Skills
Forced Migration and Refugee Studies
Media and Conflict
Our team of trained volunteers can also help individuals improve their career and employments prospects.
We are happy to work together with individuals, groups and organisations to improve the lives of young people; the leaders of tomorrow.
We, unfortunately, live in a world of crisis situations of all type. We are confronted with natural and manmade disasters, famine, food shortages, miserable poverty, inter- ethnic and religious conflicts and wars, to name but a few.
Although these crisis situations are experienced in many parts of the world, they tend to be widespread in developing and poorer countries; and leave in their wake untold human suffering, including loss of lives, displacement, homelessness, destitution, forced migration, trauma, mental health and psychosocial problems.
At Caprecon, our volunteers are able to provide psychosocial assistance, working alongside local providers to compliment indigenous efforts. Our primary objective is to alleviate suffering and help maintain human dignity.
We can also compliment the efforts of local providers through our Training Course: Training Skills for Trainers of Psychosocial and Mental Health workers.
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