Of peace builders and ‘pieces creators’

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Nigeria youth. PHOTO: AYODELE ADENIRAN

“Peace is not merely a distant goal we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.” -Martin Luther King Jr.

This year’s International Youth Day, which was commemorated on August 12, 2017, with the theme “Youth Building Peace” has come and gone. But we shouldn’t forget in a hurry its importance to the Nigerian youth because, in my opinion, the theme resonates more with the Nigerian youth. To this end, it is pertinent for us as a nation to re-evaluate the role of the youth in peace-building and peace-keeping. Because it seems to me that the Nigerian youth is most often associated with perpetrating violence, crimes and armed conflicts than in building peace. Hence, I’m prompted to ask the question, “Are You a Peace Builder or a ‘Pieces Creator’?

But first, what do I mean by a ‘Pieces Creator’? A youth can be said to be a ‘Pieces Creator’ when he/she channels his/her youthful energies to cause social and political unrest or religious and ethnic tension. Also, when the youth get involved in, and be in the vanguard of armed conflicts, electoral violence, youth restiveness, religious extremism, and so on, he or she makes himself a Pieces Creator. In fact, when incisive utterances or hate speeches emanate from the youth, they’re Creating Pieces. In other words, any act by the youth that makes peace elusive in any community or nation Creates Pieces.

So, as a youth, are you a Peace Builder or a ‘Pieces Creator’? This is a pertinent question for every one of us to answer. However, from my observation, majority of Nigerian youths are peace-builders and not ‘pieces creators’. How? Because the percentage of youths that perpetrate violence are in the minority. And the Pareto Principle lends credence to this fact. The Pareto or 80/20 Principle asserts that a minority of causes, inputs or effort usually lead to a majority of the results, outputs or rewards; 80 per cent of consequences flow from 20 per cent of causes… In society, 20 per cent of criminals account for 80 per cent of the value of all crimes.

Come to think of it, why did this minority of youths become restive and participate in violence? While I hold no brief for them, I believe certain factors are responsible, such as economic stress and associated levels of un- and under-employment; lack of access to quality education; bad governance; high levels of inequality or injustice (particularly between ethnic groups); breakdown of family values, and so on. Furthermore, the exclusion of the youth from political, economic and social spheres and processes can cause them to be Pieces Creators.

But if 20 percent (minority) are responsible for violence in our society; it invariably means that the remaining 80 percent (majority) are Peace Builders! They, despite the deprivations, injustices and neglect they suffer, are not violent and don’t partake in violence. In fact, a growing body of evidence suggests that young women and men can and do play active and valuable roles as agents of positive and constructive change. It is on this premise that in December 2015, the UN Security Council adopted the Resolution on Youth, Peace and Security. Resolution 2250 urges member States to recognize young people as critical actors in conflict prevention and sustaining peace.

As we continue to reflect on the 2017 International Youth Day with the timely theme, “Youth Building Peace”; it’s high time you stopped and carried out a surgery on yourself to see which describes you: Peace Builder or ‘Pieces Creator’. Also, it’s imperative for our political leaders to recognize the positive role that youths play in building peace, and transforming conflict in our communities and the nation at large. The youth must be included in the decision-making processes on issues of peace-building and security. The use of young men by greedy elites to ignite violence in the guise of ‘religious or ethnic defense’ and for their selfish interests must stop! Rather, they must ensure active, systemic, and meaningful participation of youths in peace-building processes. Little wonder, one Carmen Martinez said, “The more we increase the active participation and partnership with young people, the better we serve them…and the more we comprehensively work with them as service partners, the more we increase our public value to the community.”

Why the Imperative Inclusion of the youth? It’s because about 65 to 70 percent of our population are young –they could act as Humanitarian/Volunteer Workers, Mediators, Community Mobilisers and Peace Brokers; the youthful energy is a valuable resource that can be tapped in peace-building projects; the young have innovative minds that help them devise unconventional means of conflict resolutions; and the courageous and adventurous nature of the youth enables them to handle conflict in non-violent ways. Ronald Reagan rightly observed, “Peace is not the absence of conflict; it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.”

Dear great youth of Nigeria, the Present and the Future belong to you. The responsibility to make Nigeria a Haven for Peace is in your hands! Yes, you heard me right! You’re the ‘Potter’ that’d mould the ‘clay’ of your future to the ‘shape’ you want. Listen! Don’t be a willing tool in the hands of unscrupulous elites to destroy your future, today! The glorious future you’ve ever dreamt of will never come if you make yourself a Pieces Creator. Rather, make yourself an indispensable Peace Builder! Because, Peace is the only Fertile Soil on which Economic, Political, and Social Developments grow! As the adage goes, “If it were left to only the Snail and Tortoise, there’ll be NO GUNSHOT in the bush.” Why? Because they’re both PEACEFUL Creatures!

May I leave with you the words of American President Richard Nixon to ponder about: “Where peace is unknown, make it welcome; where peace is fragile, make it strong; where peace is temporary, make it permanent.”

Boussa is a speaker, writer and youth development advocate. He wrote from Oshodi, Lagos.