Peace ambassador, Zuriel Oduwole, meets 16th world leader at UN

WHILE powerful global leaders including the Presidents of the USA, Russia and China made headlines in New York during the UN General Assembly session in trying to find elusive solutions to the worlds conflict zones, other activities were going on simultaneously focusing on lesser known potential conflicts brewing across the world.

Zuriel Oduwole is one person who is very mindful of the effects of wars and civil unrest on the lives of children and the negative effect on their future development, because of difficulties and challenges of going to school during these crises. Having already met and spoken with the Presidents of South Sudan – Salva Kiir whose country is still reeling from a civil conflict, and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Searleaf, whose nation is still feeling the effect of years of a civil war, she knows first-hand the effect on these countries’ children, and others such as Iraq and Syria from watching the news.

Earlier, the Secretary General of the UN met with the Presidents of Venezuela and Guyana, to find a solution to the developing crisis of a border dispute, for which Venezuela has sent in military forces. Zuriel is hopeful that between the Secretary General’s efforts and her small voice, peace would eclipse the current situation between Guyana and Venezuela, so that children’s lives are not affected.

With a clear focus of purpose and as a globally recognized girl child, she met with the leader of Guyana President David Granger in New York on the side of the 70th UNGA session, speaking openly about these issues, hoping to prevent any military conflict between Guyana and Venezuela.

Last month, she visited a lesser known IDP in Abuja where she taught the children alphabets in a make- shift classroom. She also stopped by the Makoko Slum2School project in Lagos, where she donated books in one of the projects library, and addressed the children in the school, before leaving for New York.