By Mitchealla Kai-Samba in Freetown
232News
“Today, we are happy that those flames of war have been extinguished, and that now we are about to watch the flames of peace destroy some of the implements of war” President Ahmed Tejan Kabba.
The Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion (ICPNC) last Wednesday 21st September held a symposium to celebrate the International Day of Peace which was also celebrated around the world with the national theme “End Tribalism, Build Peace and National Cohesion”.
Mohamed Salam Conteh of the Peace Commission said that it was very important to keep and continue to promote the peace that has been achieved 20 years now after the civil war.
Since the commission was established in December 2020 by parliament and approved by H.E Maada Bio, it has been working hard to make Sierra Leone a peaceful place for all citizens.
He also said that it was mandatory for the Commission to ensure that the country is peaceful and all forms of violence is eradicated.
He said “peace education is not only crucial for people of all ages but it is effective”.
He appreciated President Bio for his investment in education as it contributes to peace education and helps children to build healthy relationship as well.
Peace teaches us to be tolerant, respect all culture and trust others in general, he said.
He noted that tribalism tears down a nation, undermines democracy and that Sierra Leone should not move in that direction as they are still recovering from the 11 years’ war.
According to him, Sierra Leone is not a tribalistic state but it is people who are uncritically-minded and gullible that is why politicians use tribalism to deviate the minds of Sierra Leoneans.
“We should let our children know not all they read in black and white they should accept as gospel truth”.
Claire Buckley, the ambassador of Ireland to Sierra Leone talked about the importance of peace and some of its causes.
She said that peace should be a global thing in order for the world to be safe and preserve for the young generation so that they will be able to grow and step in the shoes of their fathers in nation building.
One of the key causes, she mentioned is the issue of fake news and propaganda on social media.
She said that their government is a trusted partner to Sierra Leone and is giving full support to promote peace in the country.
“Peace can be achieved and sustained through dialogue, “she said.
The ambassador of the European Union to Sierra Leone, Manuel Müller, said that they are also in full support to promote and maintain peace in Sierra Leone, highlighting that some of the reasons for conflicts in the country is as a result of hate speech, increased violence and fake news mostly through social media.
Until these are addressed, he said there will continue to be conflict in the country.
Ambassador Foday Yumkella, Minister of Political and Public Affairs explained the dangers of going into war or serious conflict as it was not easy during the 11 years civil war in the country.
He emphasized on the promotion of peace, encouraging all Sierra Leoneans to accept, support and love each other regardless of the tribe or region.
He said that all hands should be on deck to make sure that the peace they are preaching is achieved.
Although the war was terrible and was a difficult scene to see especially for those who witnessed it, but videos and documentaries should be shown reminding old people where they have come from and to help the young people understand the dangers of war and why not to engage in it.
Both representatives from the APC and SLPP, Hon. Maju Bah and Hon. Abdul Conteh also advised that Sierra Leoneans should embrace each other despite their differences in politics.
They said that people should not allow politicians to use them during elections for violence because at the end they will end up causing problems for others and the same politicians will neglect them after elections.
As Sierra Leone goes into elections next year, they advised that they need to keep the peace and forget all hate speech as Sierra Leone is the only place they have.
Alpha Kamara, the National Director for the talking drum studio said that they are also working hard to promote peace and keep people informed about the happenings in the country.
The “Atunda Ayenda” show is one of the programs that informs people about the various issues in the country, noting that, although it’s comical, but it is also educative and informative and has contributed greatly to peace building in Sierra Leone.
He said that they will continue to preach the truth as it is the only way forward.
Religious leaders as well as traditional leaders are also part of the movement to ensure that Sierra Leone is peaceful now and always.
They said that they are putting full effort to communicate to their people on the benefits of peace in the country.
