Institute of Governance and Social Research (IGSR) in collaboration with the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF) is implementing a project titled “The Youth and Peaceful Coexistence in Community: The Plateau Case” in Plateau Central Senatorial Zone. Under this project, a Volleyball Tournament was organized for 240 students in Plateau Central Senatorial Zone on the theme: Promoting Tolerance in Secondary Schools through Sports.

In 2018, a similar tournament was organized for 9 schools from Bokkos, Mangu and Pankshin. With the project extended to Kanke and Kanam LGAs in the second round of the project, the activity was expanded to accommodate 11 more schools. The Volleyball Tournament was organized for the 20 schools from Bokkos, Mangu, Pankshin, Kanam and Kanke LGAs of Plateau State, targeting youths within the 5 local governments who are also students of the 20 Safe Schools and Peace Clubs established by IGSR in those schools.
The objective of the Volleyball Tournament was to promote trust, unity, tolerance, diversity and encourage interaction between students and make them less resilient to violent extremism.

The tournament also sought to create awareness on the dangers of radicalization and violent extremism among students and encourage peaceful coexistence in communities through sports.
The volleyball tournament provided a platform where youth from different religious and ethnic backgrounds overlooked their differences, interacted and competed peacefully amongst themselves.

The preliminaries of the tournament held in each of the 5 LGAs from 2nd – 4th December, 2020. The preliminary competitions in the 5 LGAs were held at Government Model Secondary School Kanam, St. Theresa’s Primary School Kabwir, Langkuk Memorial Comprehensive Secondary School Pankshin, Comprehensive Secondary School Gindiri and Government Secondary School Bokkos. During the preliminaries, IGSR programme officers educated the participants on the aim of the Volleyball Tournament which is to promote tolerance, peaceful coexistence and prevent violent extremism, the dangers of radicalization to violent extremism and the need to create an environment where differences are seen as strength and not a reason for division. A total of 20 schools participated in the volleyball tournament including:
Bokkos LGA

1. Akiluwa Secondary School (Bokkos LGA)
2. Government Secondary School Ngoksar ( Bokkos LGA)
3. Andy Comprehensive Secondary School, Marish (Bokkos LGA)
4. Government Secondary School, Mushere (Bokkos LGA)
   Mangu LGA
5. Girls High School Gindiri (Mangu LGA)
6. Boys Secondary School Gindiri (Mangu LGA)
7. Government Science School Mangun (Mangu LGA)
8. Islamic Secondary School. Mangu (Mangu LGA)
   Pankshin LGA
9. Good Shepherd Secondary School, (Pankshin LGA)
10. Government Secondary School Wokkos, (Pankshin LGA)
11. Langkuk Memorial Comprehensive Secondary School, (Pankshin LGA)
12. Government Secondary School Jing (Pankshin LGA)

Kanam LGA

1. Government Girls Secondary School, Dengi (Kanam LGA)
2. Government Model Secondary School, Dengi (Kanam LGA)
3. Government Secondary School Jarmai, (Kanam LGA)
4. Government Secondary School, Kunkyam, (Kanam LGA)
   Kanke LGA
5. Kabwir Comprehensive Secondary School, Lepchalim (Kanke LGA)
6. Government Secondary School Forkhir Amper (Kanke LGA)
7. Government Secondary School Ampang East (Kanke LGA)
8. Ganaka Girls Memorial College Kwal (Kanke LGA)

One team progressed from each of the 5 LGAs following the preliminary rounds which lasted for 3 days. The teams included:

• Government Secondary School Ngoksar ( Bokkos LGA)
• Boys Secondary School Gindiri (Mangu LGA)
• Langkuk Memorial Comprehensive Secondary School, (Pankshin LGA)
• Government Secondary School Forkhir Amper (Kanke LG A)
• Government Model Secondary School, Dengi (Kanam LGA)

Final Competition
The finals of the volleyball competition held at the Federal College of Education Pankshin sports facility on the 5th of December, 2020. The finals brought all 20 schools together however, only the 5 schools which progressed from the 5 LGAs participated in the final round. During the finals, IGSR programme officers addressed the participants again on the dangers of radicalization to violent extremism and the need to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence in their schools and communities at large.

The Senior Programme officer IGSR welcomed guests and participants to the final competition. He expressed delight over the attendance, especially from schools which did not qualify for the final round. He encouraged the players to compete peacefully. He also gave an overview of the entire project, stating that the project focuses mainly on the youth and students are an integral component of the project. He stated the objective of the tournament which is to promote trust, unity, tolerance, diversity and encourage interaction between students and make them less resilient to violent extremism. He made references to the Peace Clubs in the 20 schools which had been established the previous week and encouraged participants to organize similar activities to promote tolerance and peace in their schools and communities.
The Sports Director FCE Pankshin expressed delight over the tournament, saying it was a huge step towards reviving volleyball and other sports in secondary schools. He welcomed the participants from the various schools and encouraged them to be peaceful during the competition.

A total of 240 students from the 20 schools were present at the finals along with their games masters. There was a high level of interaction between students who cheered the competing teams. Langkuk Memorial Comprehensive Secondary School emerged winners at the end of the tournament and were presented with gold medals and the winners’ trophy. Boys’ Secondary School Gindiri and Government Model Secondary School Dengi emerged second and third respectively and were presented with the silver and bronze medals.

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IGSR Organizes Volleyball to Promote Tolerance & Unity in Plateau Secondary Schools