Consolidating true peace requires all hands on deck but more is required from young people as they are not only the majority but have more of the physical strength and could easily learn new skills than the elderly.
Below are some peace consolidation tips.
1. EDUCATION: Improve on yourself through education. The more you learn, the more you discover how ignorant you were and the humbler you become. Through education, you will discover human value and dignity and obviously shunt violence. Read books online, watch TV, listen to the elderly in the community especially those who lived in eras when war was the order of the day and you will have a change of mindset.
2. HUMAN OPPORTUNITY: At all times, see each human being that comes your way as an opportunity for you and not a threat. In fact, every human being that crosses your path is a veiled opportunity. Take advantage, unveil the opportunity through positive interaction and use it as a stepping stone to attain your objective. You will thus protect rather than hurt them because of the benefits you derive from them.
3. ENTREPRENEURSHIP: Learn a skill and get busy with something. Most of the youth involved in violence are idle. When you own a business, your interest will always be how to satisfy your customers, meet new clients, innovate or expand your business among others and you will not have time to be idling about.
4. MINDSET: Whatever the human mind can conceive, it can realize. This is why we must think positive and think peace. We must discern our thoughts and pick out just what is good to dish out. This should reflect who we are; the peace we have yet seek so much to no avail.
5. EXPRESSION: Learning effective and polite ways of passing across information (especially when hurt) will go a long way to consolidate peace. Effective communication reduces incomprehension and the subsequent number of conflicts that could result.
6. LEARN HOW TO MANAGE CONFLICTS: Learn some basic techniques of conflict resolution e.g. the Thomas-Kilmann model of either collaborating, competing, avoiding, accommodating, and/or compromising. This will enable you to effectively resolve some small conflicts that could degenerate into something bigger and affect many more people including yourself. You should do your best not only to resolve your conflicts with others, but also resolve conflicts among others after a careful study of the situation and also help them to do same.
7. SAY NO TO MANIPULATORS: Have a vision for your life. Set long term and short term goals and work towards their realization. In this case you shall not be manipulated by anyone. Remain positive especially when things are hard so that you will not see the “opportunity” of political manipulators as one since it is neither part of your long term nor short term goals nor a means to reach them.
8. SAY NO TO DRUGS: Drugs are one of the reasons for the waywardness in youths today and one of the primary causes of violence especially in schools. Inspiration doesn’t come from drugs but from nature and a meaningful analysis of your life story. Youths, stay away from drugs and you are a step towards peace consolidation.
Commit yourself to be the peace you seek, build peace, learn peace, love peace, serve peace, practice peace, reflect peace and you will be able to give peace.
Remember! You cannot give what you don’t have.
PLEASE GIVE PEACE A CHANCE
By Toulack Kingsley
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