–Blank NEWS Online (NIGERIA) – From Mike SOGBOLA:
The Boko Haram crisis that have engulfed part of Nigeria’s Northeast would be explained through art, poetry, drama and music.The Borno Literary Society will on Saturday (18th January, 2020) host the first-ever performance of local Borno artists to launch a new approach to advocacy through art, music, dance and drama.The performance exhibition titled “PEACE-UNBROKEN: 50 SHADES OF BORNO” will depict the struggles of the common man over the last decade of ongoing insurgency in the Borno State.
The performance exhibition which holds at 2pm at the El-Kanemi Hall of the University of Maiduguri, with over 15 performers taking the stage to depict the everyday struggles that crisis-affected people face.
A statement by the organizer on Friday said: “These unique artistic performances – ranging from drama to music to poetry and beyond – will raise awareness on issues of sustainable peace, child protection, gender-based violence, and countering violent extremism from the artists’ personal experience of the decade-long conflict.
“The event will bring together representatives of Government and academic institutions, humanitarian and development agencies, clubs, associations and unions.”
According to Hassan Abdullahi, President, Borno Literary Society: “Art can be an incredibly powerful force that binds people together and gives a voice to the voiceless and less fortunate in our society, especially on their experiences over the last decade. “Through this first-of-a-kind artistic exhibition in Maiduguri, the Borno Literary Society aims to create another viable process for healing at the grassroots level and establish creative expression as an avenue for genuine understanding between all stakeholders.” The statement said: “The Borno Literary Society (BLS) is an organization primarily concerned with leveraging the platform of art for positive change to the social, economic and human rights issues of our times.
“BLS strongly believes in building bridges between communities and that there is a place for art in the behavioral, cultural, national and international reorientation of these turbulent times and in face of the daunting challenges in northeast Nigeria.” Founded in 2017, BLS is driven by its vision to break down barriers that hinder collective health and progress as one society. BLS is resolved to engage in artistic expression that furthers the Sustainable Development Goals and contributes to the inclusive development of communities, at the regional, national and global level.
