Rotary implores students to promote peaceful co-existence

The Service Project Director, Rotary Club of Lagos, Rotarian Bridget Kusi Uko has implored young people to be at the forefront of spreading the message of peace.

Speaking at this year’s World Peace and Understanding Day, organised by the Rotary Club of Lagos, District 9110, in partnership with the secondary school arm of the Rotary Club International, Interact, for students of Igbobi College, Yaba; Lafiaji School, Dowen College, Uko, said for about 114 years, Rotary has been advocating peace and understanding, including taking up projects contributing to peaceful co-existence among different races. She said that effort earned the Club a seat in the United Nations.

“We need to start lending our voices to peace. Without peace, our future is not guaranteed. The young ones must not leave the advocacy to adults to champion. Students need to speak out against anything that threatens peace in the land,” she said.

Rotarian Adeniyi Sowemimo, who represented the President, Rotary Club of Lagos, District 9110, Ehi Braimah, said the event was organised to inculcate promotion of peace in the students.

“We have three schools from different background coming together in this year celebration. The status is quiet different but with what we have done today, Lafiaji Secondary school boys can have an understanding with an Igbobi College and Dowen College, that is how peace work, bringing people together, making sure we have one world so that we can sleep at night. World Peace is about bringing people together to know that we must live in peace.

“The importance of organising this is to encourage the Rotaractors to contribute to the peace of the country so that when they grow old, they will have it in their system. Speaking on what peace means to her, President, Interact Club, Lafiaji Senior High School, Miss Ajala Gloria, said, “peace to me means a state of no war. Peace is working in unity to achieve a common goal. I must commend the Nigerian government for the peace we are enjoying in the country, example is the last election. We were not sure of what will happen before the election, but we thank God that to a great extent, there was peace and to sustain that peace, we all have to corporate, be friendly and of course we have to involve God.

On his part President, Interact Club, Igbodi College, Yaba, Victor Ugwegede, said, “Peace means freedom to express one’s self, in good term with your neighbour; love, respect, obeying the law of the land will make peace to reign, and peace can be sustain when you have an intelligent person as a leader, no one with a low IQ will be able to succeed in his drive to sustain peace.“Rotary has been going about spreading love and preaching peace and we must commend the leadership on the Rotary Club in Nigeria.