Youth As Vanguard Of Peace

The youth play an integral part in the de
velopment of any nation. The part they play places great challenges on any revolutionary movement. The society has the challenge of developing the ability of youths to combine knowledge, practice at discipline, cold headedness, innovation and experience through a systematic cadre policy to ensure their development.
The youth is the future of tomorrow. He is the link between yesterday, today and tomorrow. The behavior or nature of the youths in the society today will be the major treasure that will make the life of man simpler easier and more peaceful toward moral, physical and celestial prosperity.
However, the problem in the society is the inability of man to curtail his ego and self love. This has been the major obstacle to attaining peace, thereby heightening the circle of confusion and hopelessness. It is the value system that shapes the perception, behaviour and belief, character and attitudes for centuries.
Therefore, society with high value system will experience development and disciplined group of people while society with a low value system will experience chaos and under-development. As integral part of the vanguard movement, the youth is charged with a specialised task of fulfilling their responsibilities to the community by organising and mobilising other youths into participating in the revolutionary struggle of transformation of their society. Youths have the ability to effect changes in the community as they serve as a reliable reserve force for social change. These can be seen in the characteristics youths share that distinguish them from other generations such as impatience for change, zealousness, radicalism, rebellion, curiosity, hardwork, ego and ambition etc. These are all propelling force for both negative and positive reaction such as violence as well as community development.
It is right to say that youths are the engine that actualise security or insecurity, that is if the mindsets are channeled towards the right direction. Therefore, their actions and inactions are necessary force for entrenching safety in our societies.
In most communities, young people suffer most hardship and they become the greater number of victims in conflicts. The fundamental rights and dignity of youths must be recognised in order to enable them have an assured future where peace, freedom and justice is guaranteed for the fulfillment of their desire and happiness.
Youths play a very important part in every field of human endeavour and destined to guide the future of mankind, bearing in mind furthermore, that in this age of great scientific technological and cultural achievements, the energies, enthusiasm and creative abilities of youths should be devoted to the material and spiritual advancement to all people and community in general.
The stage of youth is one of the assimilating knowledge of all kinds and the older generation should provide tutelage and guardians to them. Young people should be educated to respect and develop the cultural heritage of their communities and value for all mankind, develop the spirit of peace, understanding between people that can help to improve relationship within the community and strengthen peace and security.
The young and rising generation constitutes a representation of the future generation in the broadest sense, the future of any society depends on the practical and spiritual; moulding of the youth are avidly searching for a rational understanding of the surrounding world, so, youth therefore displaces curiously uncontrolled enthusiasm based on their judgment.
Being an excerpt of a paper presented at the Rivers State youth sensitisation workshop in Port Harcourt recently.

Carmelita Agbonubere