In a landmark appointment that bridges art and diplomacy, Nigerian spoken word poet and activist Maryam Bukar Hassan has been named the United Nations Global Advocate for Peace, becoming the first African artist to receive the title. The announcement was made on Saturday at the UN Headquarters in New York, ahead of her scheduled performance at the city’s iconic SummerStage, where she will share the stage with Afrobeat legend Femi Kuti and Cape Verdean star Elida Almeida.
Popularly known by her stage name Alhanislam, Hassan has long used her poetry as a vessel for promoting peace, social justice, and youth empowerment across Africa and beyond. A vocal champion for girls’ education and interfaith unity, her poems often blend Hausa, English, and Arabic, reflecting her Northern Nigerian roots and global vision. According to the UN, her appointment signals a strategic move to engage creative voices in healing fragmented communities and preventing violent extremism through cultural dialogue.
“Peace isn’t just the absence of war,” Hassan said in an exclusive interview following her appointment. “It is the presence of justice, of education, of equal opportunity. And poetry, spoken with truth and courage has the power to cut through the noise and connect hearts.” Her recent poem “I Am Not the Enemy”, which has gone viral across African media platforms, addresses the demonization of minorities and the global refugee crisis, positioning her as a cultural diplomat in an era of political unrest.
The United Nations’ Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth described Hassan as “a torchbearer for a new generation of global peacemakers.” Her appointment comes amid rising concerns about insecurity across the Sahel region, identity based conflict in Sudan and Ethiopia, and the weaponization of religion in electoral politics across West Africa. By naming a cultural figure as Advocate for Peace, the UN is signaling a broader understanding of conflict resolution, one that prioritizes emotional resonance alongside policy.
Hassan’s first official task under the new role will be a global tour titled “Words Beyond Borders”, which begins in Nairobi next month before heading to Johannesburg, Berlin, Toronto, and eventually Mecca. She will also spearhead a virtual campaign titled #PeaceIsSpoken, inviting young people across the world to submit poems about peace, tolerance, and reconciliation. As applause echoes in New York and hope rises back home in Nigeria, the message is clear: the world is listening, not just to politics, but to poetry.
