A Transformative Peace Library in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
James Offuh is a stalwart supporter of the mission of Euphrates. He is the epitome of an everyday peacebuilder maximizing everyday opportunities to integrate peace. Offuh has always held a vision of “a more just and inclusive world where engaged global citizens are fueled by the desire and the skills to come to deeply understand different perspectives, rather than to simply perpetuate their own.” As founder of United For Peace Against Conflict International (UFPACI), Offuh and his team have created safe spaces for alienated people to successfully engage, communicate, and heal through heart-to-heart dialogue with its distinctive quality of listening-to-learn. His most recent effort to help realize this vision is the creation of a new space, the Transformative Peace Library, in his community of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
In the fall of 2021, Offuh noticed that children in his community deeply desired a safe and sacred space for reading, learning, and generally spending time. “I was at my barber shop, when some kids in my neighborhood ran into my barber shop. They were playing around me, touching my barbering tools.”
Trying to figure out how to get them to stop, Offuh remembered, “I was donated some books from a French NGO. I decided to bring out those books to create a connection with the kids, so they can drop my barbering tools. Amazingly, when the kids saw the books, they quietly dropped my barbering tools and became interested in those books. They began to play with the books and ask me questions. I offered them that quality time together.” At the day’s end, the children refused to leave. He explained, “I pleaded with them again, promising we shall now organize a free day for our reading exercise.”
So in March of this year Offuh moved his barber shop to the outside storefront of his space and began to transform the shop into a library. His vision for this space is to “encourage children's agency, critical thinking, love of reading, capacity building, and ultimately to uncover our human oneness to work together to become models of peace in their respective campuses, homes, and communities.”
The first phase of this initiative was to move his barber shop outside and then transform the space into a bright and inviting space filled with books and possibility. Once this renovation was complete, it didn’t take long before the children began filling the space with curiosity and joy.
The second phase is beginning later this spring. Offuh plans to work with local teachers and facilitators who will offer book groups and peacebuilding workshops focused on meditation, mindfulness, conflict transformation, dialogue training, trauma healing, and more.
In this sacred space, Offuh envisions a place where “children suffering from fears and anxiety related to bullying, sexual harassment, isolation, and rejections will learn skills on how to balance their emotional intelligence through the practice of meditation, quietness, and listening.” He is designing peacebuilding activities and workshops for young people that help grow their practice of peace at the personal, interpersonal, and community level.
In the coming months, Offuh is planning an inaugural ceremony to officially open the library. The invitations have been well-received by community leaders, parents, teachers, local media, the UNESCO office Côte d'Ivoire, National Education Board of Côte d’Ivoire, and religious leaders. We look forward to sharing photos from this day and the continued success of this heart-centered endeavor.