As a study revealed that many young people in the world experience violent conflict and live in fear of terrorism in their countries, former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan called on the youth to partake in reconciliation and peacebuilding efforts to end violent conflicts worldwide.
In his speech at the One Young World 2017 Peace Day Plenary Session in Bogota, Colombia, Annan expressed dismay over the One Young World survey of 2,000 young people around the world in which more than half of respondents said they had experienced conflict during their lifetime and 60 percent lived in fear of terrorism in their countries.
“Despite all of the optimism and passion brought by the young people attending the One Young World summit this year in Bogota, we cannot ignore the fact that we live in troubled times,” Annan said.
“I would urge you all to remember the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who reminded us that “in spite of temporary victories, violence never brings permanent peace.” So put your remarkable energy, your insight, your passion in the service of reconciliation and peace,” the secretary general added.
The One Young World Summit is an annual gathering of world’s young leaders with the objective of sharing and formulating solutions to the pressing issues that the world faces.
Annan also stressed that the root of today’s human suffering is violent conflict, saying the top ‘major drivers’ of armed conflict are political factors.
“Across the world, armed conflicts rage, killing thousands, displacing millions, and challenging our collective conscience. The root of much of today’s human suffering is violent conflict. It not only robs people of their lives but disfigures society in other ways,” he said.
“When we examine today’s global landscape we can see that political factors are often a major driver of armed conflict. Too many regimes fail to represent the needs and hopes of their people, through oppression and corruption. Conflict is often caused by having unequal access to political power,” Annan added.
Annan also said that encouraging inclusive democracy is a way to avoid conflict.
“Citizens must believe that they are their nation’s own agents of change and that the ballot box is their strongest tool. The heart of democracy is the political right of its people to be equally represented and to trust in the decisions of their elected leaders,” he added.
At the end of the speech, the secretary general challenged the young people to never lose hope and be ‘ambitious’ to pursue justice and peace.
“We need hope but also strong leadership,” Annan said.
“And let me repeat; you are never too young to lead and never too old to learn,” he added.