The World Was in Our Hands: Voices From The Boko Haram Conflict

The World Was in Our Hands: Voices From The Boko Haram Conflict by Chitra Nagarajan is an essential, hard-hitting collection of first-hand accounts from those living through the conflict in Northeast Nigeria. This book is a vital cultural archive, offering a perspective far broader and more intimate than typical news coverage. Nagarajan, an activist and researcher who has worked extensively in Maiduguri, brings together the raw, unfiltered experiences of people from all walks of life:

• Abducted girls are fighting to rebuild their lives and dignity.
• Brash soldiers navigating the moral complexities of war.
• Community leaders are trying to hold fractured societies together.
• Simple fishermen whose livelihoods have been swept away by violence.

The book moves beyond the immediate violence to explore the systemic issues underlying the conflict. It provides deep insight into themes of patriarchy, the economy, climate change, and corruption, demonstrating how these factors intersect to fuel and prolong the devastating crisis.

A moving, often provocative, and ultimately crucial account, this collection serves as a testament to the resilience, suffering, and complexity of human life under extreme duress.