UN names Nigerian poet global peace advocate

Nigerian poet, human rights activist, and Pan-Africanist, Maryam Bukar Hassan (aka Alhanislam), has been appointed the United Nations’ first ever Global Advocate for Peace.

Hailing from Borno State, her advocacy intensified after witnessing the hardships in her home region, especially the devastating impact of the Boko Haram insurgency.

She met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and other officials at UN Headquarters in New York, before giving a moving performance, “Peace is a Verb”, at the Central Park Summerstage music festival.

“Peace is not a line we cross. It is a choice that we make over and over and over again. Especially when it feels far away. Especially when it is the hardest,” she said to the over 3,000 people attending.

“Today I speak peace into the bones of this world, into the rubble, into the rage, into the ruins. Because if war teaches us how to shatter, then peace must teach us how to stay, to stay soft, to stay human, to stay.”

Alhanislam uses her platform to champion women’s rights, youth empowerment and peacebuilding in communities impacted by violence and displacement

Her poetry speaks to the resilience of women and youth on the frontlines of conflict and the power of creative expression to inspire change.

“It is one that leverages emotions to actually get people to doing the work. I believe that if you cannot inspire, then you cannot lead. And so, poetry is an art of inspiration, and it can change mindsets,” she said.

Poetry itself, she added, might not change the world, but it can inspire people to take action, “and when people take action, then the world will change”.

In her innovative new UN role, Alhanislam will use her voice and creativity to promote the leadership of women and young people in building sustainable peace.

Her work will include storytelling campaigns, digital outreach, and global engagements to promote peaceful, just, and inclusive societies.