Wikipedia defines peace as "a state of harmony characterized by the lack
of violence,conflict behaviors and the freedom from fear or violence.
Commonly understood as the absence of hostility,peace also suggests the
existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international
relationships,prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare,the
establishment of equality and a working political order,that serves the
true interests of all".
Peace in the Nigerian context has been
redefined to mean the absence of war,absence of militancy or absence of
agitation of any kind under any guise. In Nigeria it is very common to
hear both government officials and 'ordinary' citizens say a particular
region is peaceful,simply because gunshots are not heard nor are bombs
exploding in such places. We continue to live in the illusion that ours
is a peaceful nation,ignoring the basic fundamentals of peace as defined
above,forgetting that without efforts to sustain peace,there would
eventually be no peace.
Peace is therefore not only the absence of
war but the creation and maintenance of a just order in the environment
and by extension the society. Without a working justice system that
establishes and maintains equality, serving the interests of everybody,
(no matter how poor or lowly placed in the social order), peace cannot
be achieved even in the absence of wars and fightings.
In
Nigeria,what is commonly referred to as peace is nothing but a facade.
What actually exists is the oppression and suppression of a people who
have not yet found a way of making themselves heard or still trying to
convince themselves on why they should not engage in violence or in some
cases planning on what form or method their agitation will take.
A
nation that understands the importance of peace will NEVER take matters
of economic and social welfare of its citizens for granted, because its
leadership is fully aware of the inextricable link between 'meaningful'
development and peace.
'REAL' peace can only be achieved and
sustained when: There's justice,fairness and a working political order
that serves the interests of ALL. Furthermore, a peaceful Nigeria is
possible when the Confucius concept of REN(translated as benevolence or
humaneness) is adopted by all citizens. Confucius defined REN as "not to
do to others as you would not wish done to yourself".
Our leaders
have to realize that without justice,fairness and equality, there can be
no REAL peace and for our nation to move forward in all ramifications
there MUST be REAL peace after which it becomes the duty of everyone to
sustain the peace through REN.
Enenim Ubon is on twitter @enenimubon
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