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An article by Bolaji Jimoh in New Telegraph of Nigeria
Olusegun Obasanjo, the former President of Nigeria on Tuesday said dialogue remains the best way to end numerous crises in Africa.
Tinubu made this known while speaking at a youth leadership conference in Abeokuta on the theme, “Opportunities for Peace: Roles of the Youths in Conflict Prevention in Africa.”
According to him, 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 instil in them a culture of security and peace must be intensified.
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Where in the world can we find good leadership today?
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The programme which was organized by Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library and Institute for African Culture and International Understanding, the Centre for Human Security and Dialogue is one of the events planned in honour of the former president’s 87th birthday.
As per the former President, it is imperative to prioritise compassion and tolerance over hateful narratives and negative attitudes that fuel conflicts and ultimately lead to violence. Peace is a non-negotiable for development and economic success.
Instead of being drawn in or utilised as tools of destabilisation, he added, young people in Africa ought to be agents of peace and stand hard 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.