Community Mosaics and Social Cohesion in Post-Conflict Communities in Borno State

Community-based art projects using mosaic as a collective medium have been employed globally in post-conflict contexts to support social cohesion, collective memory, and community healing. This study examines the use of community mosaic projects in post-conflict communities in Maiduguri and surrounding resettlement areas in Borno State, located in Nigeria's North East geopolitical zone, a region that has experienced severe displacement and social rupture due to insurgency. A qualitative case study design is employed, documenting three community mosaic initiatives facilitated by non-governmental organisations between 2020 and 2023 through project observation, participant interviews with 40 community members and 8 project facilitators, and photographic analysis of completed works. The study evaluates the participatory design processes used, the themes and imagery chosen by communities, the perceived effects on social cohesion as reported by participants, and the institutional sustainability of the projects. The theoretical framework draws on community art theory, transitional justice scholarship, and the social cohesion literature applied to post-conflict settings. The North East context introduces specific considerations about trauma-sensitive arts facilitation, inter-ethnic reconciliation needs, and the operational constraints of working in a security-affected environment. Recent literature on arts-based peacebuilding in West Africa has identified community visual art as an underutilised tool in transitional justice programming. Findings are intended for non-governmental organisations, the North East Development Commission, and arts-based peacebuilding practitioners. Keywords: community mosaic, social cohesion, post-conflict, Borno State, art for peace