Meet 2024 Rick Love Young Innovator Award Recipient Moses Abolade

Sep 14

Dr. Rick Love, the late Founder and President of Peace Catalyst International, dreamed of mobilizing people around the globe into a peacebuilding movement. Everyone who knew him knew this was his passion and that he worked tirelessly toward it. He founded Peace Catalyst because of that dream and dedicated the last ten years of his life to peacebuilding, courageously crossing social, political, and ideological divides and inviting others to do the same. He did so because of his Jesus-centered approach to all of life.

To honor Rick’s legacy, to further his vision, and to raise up more peacebuilders like him, Peace Catalyst presented the 3rd annual Rick Love Peace Awards at Alliance for Peacebuilding’s annual gathering, PeaceCon, on September 11, 2024 in Washington, D.C. These awards honor those who creatively cross divides to build peace, exhibiting the same character and courage displayed by Rick.

Three awards were given: one Rick Love Peace Award and two Rick Love Young Innovators Awards.

The Rick Love Young Innovator Awards are for peacebuilders under the age of 30 who are up-and-coming leaders and who have recently started or will soon be starting innovative peacebuilding efforts that promise to be transformative in their context. Each includes a $1,000 cash award to support the recipient in their peacebuilding efforts.

Meet one of this year’s Rick Love Young Innovator Award recipients, Moses Segun Abolade…

Moses Segun Abolade is a leading voice in peace education, human security, and conflict transformation. Committed to equipping communities with the tools necessary for sustainable peace, Abolade serves as a consultant, educator, and advocate, creating pathways toward a just and peaceful world. His work is characterized by dynamic facilitation, rigorous research, and a deep belief that peace is not merely the absence of conflict but the presence of justice, security, and development.

As the Founder and Executive Director of the Peace Education and Practice Network (PEPNET) in Abuja, Nigeria, Abolade bridges the gap between academic research and grassroots peacebuilding. His innovative approaches have positioned PEPNET as a transformative force in peace education, reaching over 4,000 beneficiaries, including youth, vulnerable groups, peacebuilders, and policymakers across Nigeria and beyond. Since 2018, Abolade has designed and led more than 30 peacebuilding programs, each one a testament to his dedication to fostering peace through education and practice.

Abolade has authored essential peacebuilding resources, and his contributions to various publications explore the intersections of peace, education, and development, with a focus on conflict-sensitive development, human security, and digital peacebuilding. These works reflect his advocacy for innovative solutions to contemporary global challenges, particularly in the context of Nigeria and the broader African continent.

Abolade’s leadership has earned him a fellowship with the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and his role as Nigeria’s Youth Lead for the Community of Democracies (CoD). As a facilitator and mentor, he has inspired mentees and learners to pursue careers in Peace and Conflict Studies, emphasizing ethical leadership and practical application in addressing the complex realities of global peace and security.

Abolade’s voice resonates on multiple platforms, including KAFTAN TV, where he hosts the Peace Zone program, a peace media project that educates audiences on the importance of peace in everyday life. Additionally, he coordinates The Debate Arena, another media program for peace, where diverse voices engage in meaningful dialogue on peace and conflict issues. His initiatives, such as the Peace Education and Management Training (PEMAT), the Annual Peace Education and Practice Conference (PEPCON), and the Peace Education for Secondary Schools (PESS) Program, designed to teach about 5 million young people in Nigeria about peace education, have had a lasting impact on the field of peace education.

Abolade has spoken at numerous international and community-led programs, addressing themes such as ethical leadership and conflict transformation. As a peace ambassador for World Citizen Peace and a recipient of the Lowell Erdahl Peace Scholarship, Abolade continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in peace education and practice.

Currently, Abolade coordinates the Peace Education for Higher Institution Program (PEHIP) in collaboration with the University of Abuja and other peace institutions in North Central Nigeria. This initiative, along with his broader work, underscores his mission to transform conflict through education. Through his ongoing efforts, Moses Abolade remains a champion of peace, dedicated to creating a world where every individual has the opportunity to live in harmony and dignity.