By Rachel Kakraba
A Youth Peace Ambassador, Rafia Adams, says the inability of the Ghanaian youth to withstand external pressures is a reason they are sometimes engaged in some form of violence.
She noted that in promoting the peace of the country, the youth are critical, and therefore measures aimed at ensuring stability of the country must be targeted at them.
Speaking in an interview with GBC NEWS, in Accra, Madam Adams said anger in homes is what transcends to other human relations, adding ensuring peace in the home must not be taken for granted. She said as Peace Ambassador she sensitizes the youth on how their relationship with others could be managed.
“I talk to them on how they can manage their anger and how they can manage their relationship because this is where peace can be built. Anybody who cannot control their anger at home will definitely do anything elsewhere.”
She said peace of the country is dependent on the youth as they are sometimes lured to engage in violence for some parochial benefits. She, therefore, called for sensitisation and mentorship sessions on the need for them to uphold the peace of the country.
“The youth are the key to promoting the peace that we will be enjoying now and even in the future. Because they are mostly vulnerable people who cannot withstand a lot of hardships. They want to have everything at their service, and when that is not coming, that is when other means of getting what they want come, which sometimes leads to the disturbance of peace we have.”
Madam Adams noted that opportunity abounds for the youth and encouraged them to strive to acquire some soft skills to enhance their suitability for such opportunities.
“Work on getting a lot of skills so that any opportunity that is coming they will be able to grab it, but if you only take the theory or the book knowledge that we have been taught all the time, it will become very difficult to take charge of these opportunities.”
She also challenged the youth to be deliberate about being abreast with issues of climate change.
“One thing the youth should also be looking at is climate change because that is where a lot of opportunities are coming now, because climate change has now become very rampant.”
