Ten years ago, Mission 21 solely focused on development cooperation. Humanitarian aid was seen as the domain of more specialized\u2014often larger\u2014organizations. Donations the organization received in response to major disasters, such as the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia or the Fukushima catastrophe in 2011, were passed on to trusted partner organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First Humanitarian Engagement: Responding to a Crisis<\/strong> Lesson #1: <\/strong>This trilateral partnership, grounded in deep, longstanding relationships, laid the foundation for Mission 21\u2019s humanitarian engagement in Nigeria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Structure and Development<\/strong> Existing projects were adapted to address the socio-economic fallout of multiple, overlapping crises, particularly for internally displaced populations. Interfaith peacebuilding networks began integrating income-generating initiatives, which were eventually brought under the umbrella of Nigeria\u2019s national Emergency Preparedness and Response Team (EPRT).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lesson #2<\/strong>: Successfully integrating the triple nexus requires a shared theory of change, better coordination across projects and partners, network building, and capacity development\u2014both within Mission 21 and among local partners. This also involves raising awareness among donors, who must understand that coordination activities are not “overhead costs” but a fundamental prerequisite for implementing the triple nexus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conflict Sensitivity as the Cornerstone<\/strong> Lesson #3<\/strong>: A consistent, conflict- and gender-sensitive approach strengthens the links between projects. \u201cYou have to consider all the factors and how they interact,\u201d says Joseph. \u201cTake gender-based violence, for instance. Survivors need long-term support\u2014mental health care, and ways to rebuild their livelihoods.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opportunities of the Triple Nexus Approach<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As Joseph notes: \u201cYou only truly see the value of the triple nexus when the focus shifts from short-term needs to long-term resilience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Challenges of the Triple Nexus Approach<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Conclusion<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ten years ago, Mission 21 solely focused on development cooperation. Humanitarian aid was seen as the domain of more specialized\u2014often larger\u2014organizations. Donations the organization received in response to major disasters, such as the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia or the Fukushima catastrophe in 2011, were passed on to trusted partner organizations. First Humanitarian Engagement: Responding … Mission 21\u2019s Path to the Triple Nexus \u2014 Lessons Learned<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5389,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":""},"categories":[111],"tags":[],"issue":[374],"acf":[],"author_meta":{"display_name":"\u00e0 propos","author_link":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/author\/apropos\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/WB_RUMP-Projekt-Nigeria-600x332.jpg","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["Reports<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Reports<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":0,"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 1 year ago","modified":"Updated 1 year ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on June 24, 2025","modified":"Updated on June 24, 2025"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on June 24, 2025 11:43 am","modified":"Updated on June 24, 2025 11:43 am"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5388"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5388"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5388\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5655,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5388\/revisions\/5655"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5388"},{"taxonomy":"issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koff.swisspeace.ch\/apropos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issue?post=5388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
The shift came in 2015, when violence by the so-called Boko Haram group devastated large parts of northeastern Nigeria, a region where Mission 21 had worked for decades on sustainable development with local partners. As a result, more than 2.5 million people were forcibly displaced. In response, Mission 21 launched a humanitarian aid program in partnership with its long-standing Nigerian church partner, the EYN (Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), and the Church of the Brethren USA. Their goal was to support internally displaced persons whose basic needs were not met by any other organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In parallel, Mission 21 established a coordination office in Nigeria and appointed a national program coordinator. Since then, the organization has steadily expanded its work by teaming up with new Nigerian partner organizations, bringing expertise across humanitarian aid, development, and peacebuilding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thorough conflict analysis and conflict-sensitive program management constitute the central “cement” for operationalizing the double nexus (development cooperation and humanitarian aid) and later the triple nexus (adding peacebuilding). Yakubu Joseph, Program Coordinator of Mission 21 in Nigeria, confirms this as follows: \u201cOur conflict analyses showed us that deeply rooted structural issues like poverty, unemployment, climate change impacts, and illegal resource exploitation are at the heart of many conflicts,\u201d he explains. \u201cWe also learned that during violent crises, people need humanitarian assistance\u2014but that aid must be delivered with a strong sensitivity to the conflict dynamics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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For Mission 21, the triple nexus is not an abstract idea, but a practical framework for thought and action. At its core lies the conviction that humanitarian aid, development cooperation, and peacebuilding must be conceived and implemented as interconnected efforts to achieve lasting impact. This requires strong conflict sensitivity, in close collaboration with local partners and their knowledge, through participatory processes, and anchored in solid strategic planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n