Ethiopia has portrayed an amazing turnaround since it embraced change and experienced reawakening.
Among the fruits of change, facilitating opportunities for citizens to say “I beg to differ” is salient. This has a significant contribution to the ensued peace and sustainable development.
Yet to meet personal ends, some extremist groups agitate youths to be emotional to create havocs. These irresponsible groups are seen making numerous attempts to this effect. To mar peace they twist things and blow them out of proportion and disseminate wrong narratives. Pushing youths to involve in chaos they become a reason for bloodshed and property destruction. Following this the government has pressed ahead with the task of ensuring tranquility and the supremacy of the rule of law.
Numerous attempts were made to make the destructive force turn their faces towards peace and nation’s building work. Top among such works is the one that focused on shaping the mindset of the youth. Revolving around citizens’ chemistry and unity, Ministry of Peace (MoP) has organized a first round training for 35 thousand youths. Altogether, 50 thousand youths will be embraced in the training. They are graduates drawn from various universities. They envision witnessing Ethiopia that basks under “peace, considerateness and love.”
Going to training centers set up in 22 universities they will take training for 45 days before heading to different corners of the country to give service to 10 months. The training helps sow the seed of peace churning out reasonable youths that espouse the nationalist sentiment.
Of course, for three years now the government has mounted on multi-pronged activities to build a sustainable peace, create a national consensus and augment oneness.
Taking youths abroad in the task of ensuring a nation whose social structure is wholesome, whose peace is enduring and whose unity is solid has a paramount role. For national unity and sustainable peace, taking all segments of society specially the youth on board in such participatory program pays, for it guarantees laudable results.
The fact that designing a national Youths’ Volunteer Social Service program MoP is giving training to youths on personality development, outlook and work culture deserve appreciation. There is no gainsaying it will have immense contribution in warranting long-lasting peace.
Alerting youths from bellicose and destructive groups that adore adding inflammatory ingredients on the emotionality of trigger-happy youths to push them off the track is exigent. Indeed youths have a huge role either for development or destruction. Unless they are armed with the knowledge of discerning the good from the bad they will easily fall prey to destructive forces. The end result of any mess that emanates from emotionality is not known. Currently, in our country a political system that accommodates differences has actualized.
One parameter to measure civilization is expressing differences in peaceful ways. Regarding this what is disturbing this country is differences in outlook. From a sense of fairness and peaceful ways all should express the sentiment that Ethiopia should be a land where across the board treatment of citizens is evident and also where youths are able to translate their visions into action.
There is a need to create citizens that believe in reason than power as well as in brainstorming. Focused, the government is troubleshooting challenges that surface in different corners of the country. In a strengthened manner it has to continue the assistance it renders to the displaced, students sat idle following the disruption of schools, orphaned children, women, feeble and old.
Clicking with security forces and working hand in glove with them, Ethiopians must water the security of the country. If past achievements are maintained and the zeal is there to spur those envisaged. Taking the chaos in Libya and Syria and creating a generation that upholds unity and togetherness we have to see to prosperous Ethiopia whose peace is ensured. This could be realized when we sow the seed of peace in the fecund mind of the youth.
Besides, deterring historic enemies is possible if peace is ensured hinterland.
The Ethiopian herald January 10/2021
