A Washington DC-based Religious Freedom Institute (RFI) has appointed Fr. Atta Barkindo, the executive director of Kukah Centre, as a senior research fellow for international religious freedom policy.
Executive vice president of the institute Eric Patterson in a letter addressed to Barkindo, said he will be working on projects of common interest as they collaborate to raise awareness and galvanize action for peace and religious freedom in West Africa.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to work with you to advance religious freedom. Your background and experience on the ground will bring a unique perspective to the work of this organization.
“RFI’s International Religious Freedom Policy Action Team is dedicated to championing religious freedom for everyone, everywhere.
“As a Senior Fellow, you will be part of a team of senior fellows who will contribute to the work of RFI – a team that includes individuals such as former US diplomats and past government officials from Canada and Pakistan,” Patterson wrote in the letter.
He said the appointment also provides an opportunity to promote your existing work to a wider audience.
Barkindo, a Catholic Priest of the Diocese of Yola, is an expert on violent extremism and security in Africa, with focus on the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin.
Before he was appointed the executive director of the Kukah Centre and head of Secretariat for the National Peace Committee, Barkindo obtained a BA in Arabic and Islamic Studies from the Dar Comboni Institute for Islamic Studies, Zamalek, Egypt, and a Licentiate Degree in Political Islam and Inter-Religious Dialogue from the Pontifical University for Arabic and Islamic studies, Rome, Italy.
In 2012, he completed his MSc in African Politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, SOAS, University of London. In 2016, he completed his PhD at the same University. His PhD research project, titled ‘‘History, Memory and Resistance in Northern Nigeria: The Transformation of Boko Haram,’’ was awarded the Horowitz Foundation Grant for Social Policy.
The Kukah Centre has also congratulated and rejoiced with him on his significant international recognition.
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