Ex-Minister Lists Panacea For Peace

A former Federal Minister and Ambassador, Chief Segun Olusola, says the starting point in building peace in society can not be found in external institutions or situation, but with deep understanding of individual faults and setting out on a course of self-correction.

Chief Olusola stated this, Wednesday, in his keynote address at the United Nations International Day for Peace celebrated in Port Harcourt by the Rivers State chapter of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF).

The ex-minister who spoke  on the need to recognise and overcome the challenges of corruption and wrong doing in individual heart, said respect  for the rights of each other were an essential element to achieving true and lasting peace in society.

Chief Olusola who is also chairman of UPF board of trustees, noted that the celebration of world peace “underscores the sober reality that we live at a time of global crisis”.

At the occasion which also featured the investiture of 29 distinguished citizens as Ambassadors of Peace, the ex-minister remarked that though citizens live in hope for peace, the world does not enjoy peace.

He cited Iraq, Sudan, Sri Lanka, the Horn of Africa, Palestine, Israel, Libya among other nations where peace had been thrown overboard, adding that despite the promises of globalisation, poverty still persisted.

According to him, breakdown of family values, sexual promiscuity and HIV/AIDS were spreading fast to the detriment of children, the economy and the overall quality of lives of the people.

He regretted that governments and countless citizens had lost their moral compass, surrendering to the lure of  materialism and self- individualism as nuclear proliferation and arms trade had continued.

Chief Olusola, however said that all hope is not lost, and stressed the need for the notion of my people to be universalised.

“We must move beyond thinking that my people were only those of the same skin colour, gender, ethnic background, nationality or religious ideology. The circle of my people must expand to include and  embrace even the enemy”,  the ex-minister said.

While insisting that military, economic or political power can not bring peace, the ex-minister charged world leaders to address the problems of politics, government policies, governance, religion, education, culture, family, arts, sports, media, economics and business towards peace building and human development.