Olusegun Obasanjo, the former president of Nigeria, has often emphasized that dialogue is the best way to end numerous crises in Africa.
At a youth leadership conference in Abeokuta on Monday with the topic “Opportunities for Peace: Roles of the Youths in Conflict Prevention in Africa,” he made this declaration.
He stated that in order to encourage young people to be leaders in promoting peace rather than being used as tools for committing acts of violence across the continent, efforts to instill in them a culture of security and peace must be intensified.
Together with the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library and the Institute for African Culture and International Understanding, the Center for Human Security and Dialogue created the initiative.
According to reports, the event was one of the events planned in honor of the former president’s 87th birthday, which falls on Tuesday, March 5.
As per the former President, it is imperative to prioritize compassion and tolerance over hateful narratives and negative attitudes that fuel conflicts and ultimately lead to violence. Peace is a non-negotiable for prosperity and economic success.
Instead of being drawn in or utilized as tools of instability, he added, young people in Africa ought to be agents of peace and stand up against conflicts in any area of the continent.
“We must begin to bring up our youth in a culture of peace and security. The chances are that where we have a culture of love, we will have peace.
“The first thing to do is to inculcate in the youths the ingredients of peace, which is love and fellowship.
“Look at the attributes that God gave us to have a life of stability, a life of peace; they are, as I mentioned, kindness, mercy, and forgiveness,’’ he said.
