海角大神

Three months after the kidnapping of over 200 school girls by Boko Haram, Pakistani education activist聽Malala Yousafzai met today with Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan and urged him to remain committed to their freedom. She said President Jonathan had聽agreed to meet with the parents聽of the kidnapped girls for the first time since the crisis began.

Ms. Yousafzai survived being shot in the head in 2012 by the Taliban in Pakistan. Like the kidnapped Nigerian girls, she was targeted for being female and daring to seek an education. Today she met with the parents of the kidnapped girls, vowing to "speak up for them until they're released."

She also announced her charity would provide $200,000 to local education organizations as well as a new hashtag, #strongerthan (following the popular #bringbackourgirls), telling ABC News, 鈥淲e want to say that we are 鈥榮tronger than. So I say that I am stronger than fear鈥�I am stronger than every kind of thing that stops me from getting education.鈥�

But hashtags and vows of determination are unlikely to do much for either the kidnapped girls or for female education in Nigeria more generally. Mr. Jonathan has been reluctant to try to recover the girls by force or to negotiate with their Boko Haram captors.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think they [the Nigerian government] have very many options," says John Campbell, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a former US ambassador to Nigeria.聽"They would resist some kind of swap for jihadist fighters, all that does is strengthen Boko Haram and all that does is encourage more kidnapping. When President Jonathan says a military operation may result in their [the girl鈥檚] deaths, that鈥檚 altogether credible. Under these circumstances it would seem to me there is not a whole lot of room for an outsider, even one as eminent as Malala, to have much impact."

Boko Haram doesn't seem too concerned. Her visit coincided with the release of a聽new video聽from Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, who mocked the #bringbackourgirls campaign that has been backed by celebrities like Angelina Jolie and Michelle Obama. 鈥淣igerians are saying 鈥榖ring back our girls,鈥� and we are telling Jonathan to bring back our arrested warriors, our army,鈥� he shouts, referring to a proposed swap.

Renewed attention

Still, Yousafzai鈥檚 visit has prompted renewed media attention three months since the kidnappings.

鈥淚nternational attention is one of the few things that can motivate the Nigerian government into some form of action,鈥� says Darren Kew, who studies conflict and democracy in Nigeria at the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

Kew says that the Nigerian government will be 鈥渞eticent to negotiate鈥� with Boko Haram, but another possibility is to try and engage members of the wider movement who 鈥渃ould help to isolate the hardliners.鈥�

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 possible. It might be a starting place,鈥� he says. He worries, however, that after three months, some of the girls have most likely been married off to fighters or sold to other groups. 鈥淚鈥檓 not sure we鈥檒l be able to get all of the girls back."

Hashtag impact?

Neither Campbell nor Kew dismiss hashtag activism entirely.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 pushing the Nigerian government to take more action,鈥� Campbell says. 鈥淲hat (that) can accomplish isn鈥檛 clear.鈥�

Kew notes that the Nigerian government had been largely inactive until international pressure followed weeks after the kidnappings. And Mr. Shekau鈥檚 mention of the campaign in his new video shows its reach.

鈥淚f he鈥檚 [Shekau] making fun of it, that鈥檚 a sign of its success to some degree,鈥� Kew says.

More importantly, Kew argues the #bringbackourgirls campaign has energized civil society in Nigeria to demand action. With a presidential election scheduled for February, the kidnappings could play a part in politics.

鈥淔or the first time in 20 years Nigeria has a viable political opposition,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he February election is going to be particularly volatile, both sides are going to be playing rough.鈥�