Common Concern Network (CCN) - Nigeria

The organisation's key strategy is bridging the gap of information and knowledge among grassroots agricultural youth organisations by building skills associated with non-violent conflict resolution through trainings, workshops, and seminars. CCN hopes that its training will become integral to the youth's personality. The organisation encourages youth to be self-reliant; to that end, it promotes acceptance of good and democratic governance in its training programmes and leadership education.

One of CCN's primary activities is collecting information on agricultural practices and experiences in sustainable agriculture, appropriate communication methods, and participatory approaches to rural development. Information is sourced from professional farmer organisations, NGOs, the Internet, libraries, and local farmers. The information is then disseminated by post and hand-to-hand in an effort to reach out to youth development organisations, community-based organisations (CBOs), and similar organisations that focus on improving access to basic needs.

Along these lines, another key focus of CCN's work is striving to reduce unemployment among youth through self-help job creation and income generation programmes. The organisation hopes to achieve this by:

• Providing poor and unemployed youth with information and micro-credit facilities that will enable them to create jobs by themselves by using sustainable agricultural resources available within their immediate communities.
• Supporting smaller grassroots development groups that are working towards peace building and activities that provide them with information and training to build their capacity.
• Promoting the participation of youth in peace education, and in the economic and social development of their communities.
• Supporting, building the capacities of, and working in participatory relationships with CBOs in order to improve management of community renewable natural resources, for the benefit of the rural youth and general well-being of the communities.
• Promoting micro-enterprise development in rural communities.
• Providing micro credit facilities, as well as technical or financial assistance, directly to grassroots youth development associations, young women's development associations, and young individuals to enhance their economic and developmental activities.

Youth, Agriculture, Peace, Economic Development.

CCN aims to bridge the gap of information and knowledge among grassroots agricultural youth organisations.