Henry Giessenbier, the founder of Junior Chamber International (JCI), spoke of this worldwide federation of young leaders and entrepreneurs, saying, "From within the walls of the soul of this organization wherein the foundation of character and good citizenship are laid, I hope a message will come in the sometime of tomorrow that will stir the people toward the establishment of a permanent and everlasting world peace."
Henry Giessenbier’s dying wish was for the world to have peace. For this peace to be achieved the two things that he stated must not be overlooked are
- Character
- Good citizenship
Conflict resolution can simply be defined as a process of analysing a problem and strategising a solution to sort out the differences between two parties in discord. It can also be referred to as the method used to solve problems between two parties, individuals, community or nations. Peace and conflict resolution is very important in the world today.
The process of resolution brings an agreement between the parties involved in the conflict. Peace cannot be achieved without bringing the pieces together. This can only be achieved by strategising for change, mobilising for advancement, erasing shallow thinking and taking responsibility for every action taken.
In any situation, it is not a matter of who is right but who is left i.e. who is on the other side, who is the person with a different perspective. We should learn to listen twice as much as we speak so as to sample other people’s opinions. It is imperative that deliberate actions should be taken to achieve these feats.
The youth are a very important factor in peace and conflict resolution as they stand the chance of been used as elements for violence, hooliganism and conflict-making. We have seen such cases in countries where terrorism is the order of the day. Also, the elites and power hungry politicians make the youth in their communities cause problems so that they can achieve their own selfish interests in government. The youth are vulnerable to these proposals because they don’t have the right education.
When I say education I do not mean going to school. We have graduates that are used as social miscreants in the community by the power hungry people who have the money to influence these situations in order to achieve their selfish aims. The education I am talking about is the one that was defined by Napoleon Hill when he said, “That word education is derived from the Latin word ‘educo,’ meaning to educe, to draw out, to develop from within. An educated man is not necessarily one who has an abundance of general or specialized knowledge. An educated man is one who has so developed the faculties of his mind that he may acquire anything he wants or its equivalent, without violating the rights of others. Any man is educated who knows where to get knowledge when he needs it, and how to organize that knowledge into definite plans of action”. It only takes a man of purpose to see that he gets the right education. The wrong school is the wrong mentality acquired over the years.
In spite of all these challenges and problems the youth must be responsible enough to design their future based on their vision. They should be empowered and motivated to be change agents in our environment. They have the strength, mental alertness, speed, ideas and information necessary to create positive change. The youth must be catalysts for change and not catalysts for destruction. Kwame Nkrumah (Ghanaian president) said that “Circumstances can be changed by revolution and revolutions are brought about by men, by men who think as men of action and act as men of thought”. Therefore, it is upon the youth to become men in their thoughts and mental capability, rather than just in their physical fitness or vigour.
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