Rebecca Ebenezer-Abiola

Rebecca Ebenezer-Abiola is a senior program officer with the curriculum and training design team of the Institute’s Center for Applied Conflict Transformation. Ebenezer-Abiola specializes in curriculum development and training design and facilitation.

Ebenezer-Abiola works with the Institute’s youth team to implement the Generation Change Fellows Program (GCFP). GCFP is a program dedicated to empowering emerging civic leaders across the world. The goal of the program is to increase participants’ ability to create effective, lasting social change in their communities. The objectives are to develop participants’ leadership and conflict management skills and to create a sustainable, dynamic network of peers to support their work.

Ebenezer-Abiola also works with the curriculum and training design team to implement the Kenyan Border Police Unit Conflict Management Training Program. The program is aimed at increasing the capacity of the Border Police Unit to manage conflicts nonviolently and to effectively partner with communities along the Kenya-Somalia border to interdict terrorist suspects and to reduce drivers of violent extremism in northeast Kenya.

Ebenezer-Abiola came to the Institute from the field of behavior change as a communication specialist with over 10 years of experience. She worked with ARDA Development Communication Inc. (formerly African Radio Drama Association) as a project coordinator. In the course of her career in the field of social and behavior change communication, she designed, implemented and managed over a dozen development programs in Nigeria. She also wrote, produced and directed several radio programs, short films and documentaries on various social and development issues including peacebuilding, conflict resolution, reconciliation and reintegration. She is an internationally acclaimed leadership and peacebuilding trainer, having conducted trainings in multiple countries across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and North and South America.

Ebenezer-Abiola holds a master’s in peace and conflict studies from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.

Publications By Rebecca

Youth-Centered Peacebuilding Framework

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

By: Rebecca Ebenezer-Abiola

The Youth-Centered Peacebuilding Framework is a functional guide that proposes an actionable approach for the centering of youth in peacebuilding interventions. The guide operationalizes the concept of youth participation, starting from core principles and moving to practical guidance and specific action steps for meaningful youth engagement at different stages of a peacebuilding project.

Type: Tools for Peacebuilding

Education & Training; Youth

The Dilemma for Kenya’s Police Amid the Pandemic

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

By: Rebecca Ebenezer-Abiola

From Nigeria to the United States and beyond, the added pressures of COVID-19 have pushed community-police relations to the breaking point as police have found themselves thrust to the frontlines of the coronavirus response. This issue has been particularly acute in Kenya, where police were tasked with new responsibilities without proper equipment or information. The resulting confusion has been a catalyst for increased tensions between the police and everyday Kenyans — including reports of violent and heavy-handed crackdowns from police.

Type: Blog

Global Health; Justice, Security & Rule of Law

What Works in Youth Projects? Lessons for the Youth, Peace, and Security Field

Monday, October 5, 2020

By: Rebecca Ebenezer-Abiola; Jeremy Moore

Until the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2250 in 2015, the international community had no comprehensive framework with which to address the specific needs and opportunities of a key demographic group—young people. This report presents the findings of a meta-review assessing fifty-one youth projects supported or implemented by USIP between 2011 and 2018 and offers recommendations for continuing to develop and support peacebuilding activities with effective engagement, cooperation, and flexibility among civil society organizations and funders.

Type: Special Report

Youth

From Recognition to Action: UN Affirms Vital Role of Youth in Peacebuilding

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

By: Kessy Martine Ekomo-Soignet; Rebecca Ebenezer-Abiola

When violent conflict erupts, young people are often among the most impacted. Indeed, globally, one in four youth are affected by conflict and violence. But their voices are frequently among the most marginalized in efforts to prevent or resolve conflict. Young men are regularly depicted as the perpetrators of violence and young women are portrayed as victims. This narrative severely discounts the important role young people play in building peace. Research shows that peace processes are more successful when they are inclusive and in many conflict-ridden societies youth account for a large percentage of the population, making their participation all the more vital. A new United Nations Security Council resolution passed in July aims to enshrine the critical role of youth in building peace.