In April this year, global outrage rang heavily when over 200 girls were abducted in Chibok, Nigeria by the extremist Boko Haram sect. Placards with internet-tags saying ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ from the streets of Abuja to the Red Carpet in Hollywood saturated the internet. The movement was feisty. The campaign was unwavering enough to touch a nerve with political figures.

In no time… Governments sprang to action! The beauty of international cooperation flustered! Accountability was suddenly not an illusion! Political will sailed on the mast of reality! Human rights became a movement! But in the beginning, it was not so. Boko Haram had killed scores of individuals, bombed various places including the United Nations building and international outrage was not of the same magnitude as when Chibok girls were abducted.

What happened differently? Thoughts may vary. Answers may differ. But one thing is clear: some people demanded that the girls must be brought back!
(Excerpt from the Editorial)

Download Issue No 10 - October 2014