S6 E11: The World Was in Our Hands: Voices from the Boko Haram Conflict with Chitra Nagarajan

In conversation with Chitra Nagarajan

In this episode, Africa Rights Talk podcast sits down with Chitra Nagarajan to delve into her compelling book, The World Was in Our Hands: Voices from the Boko Haram Conflict. Chitra discusses the personal and professional journey behind the book. She shares insights into her approach to compiling the anthology, focusing on the voices of diverse individuals profoundly impacted by the Boko Haram insurgency. The conversation explores how she navigated the challenges of capturing their stories, and the themes of patriarchy, economic hardship, and climate change intertwined with the conflict. Chitra also reflects on how the book presents a different perspective from mainstream media narratives, shedding light on the ongoing repercussions of the Chibok girls' abduction and aiming to influence global understanding and response. This episode highlights the importance of  human stories that underpin the broader issues of violence and advocacy in the region.

Chitra Nagarajan is an award-wining author, journalist, researcher and activist with a rich background in conflict analysis, climate change, feminism, foreign policy, migration, Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad region, race and sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. She has written for The Guardian, New Humanist, New Internationalist, This is Africa and Ventures Africa. With a LLM degree in Human Rights, Conflict and Justice and extensive experience working with various international and grassroots organisations, she has dedicated her career to addressing issues of conflict and displacement. Her work focuses on the impact of violence on marginalised communities, particularly women and children.  She is also known for her ground breaking collection She Called Me Woman: Nigeria’s Queer Women Speak, co-edited with Azeenarh Mohammed and Rafeeat Aliyu.

This conversation was recorded on 19 August 2024.

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