LET’S DIALOGUE IN AFRICA, OBASANJO

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has harped on dialogue as the only panacea to help resolve various conflicts in Africa. He made this statement on Monday in Abeokuta at a youth leadership symposium with the theme “Opportunities for Peace: Roles of the Youths in Conflict Prevention in Africa.”

He said efforts to inculcate a culture of peace and security in the youth must be redoubled to spur them to be at the vanguard of promoting peace rather than being used to perpetrate violence on the continent.

The programme was put together by the Centre for Human Security and Dialogue in collaboration with the Institute for African Culture and International Understanding, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library.

The programme was part of activities lined up for the 87^th birthday of the former president coming up on today, March 5.

According to the ex-President, instead of pushing forward the narratives of hatred, negative attitudes that brew conflicts and then violence, it is important to embrace love and tolerance and see peace as not negotiable for economic growth and prosperity.

He said the youths must stand firmly against conflicts in any part of Africa and be agents of peace rather than being lured or used as agents of destabilization.

“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.