NCY of India publishes the Young Peacemakers Handbook

Last Updated (Tuesday, 06 December 2022 13:44)

Introductory note: Increasing conflict within the communities derails peace and is a deterrent to development. Enhanced stress within the communities deranges the development process. To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-UN), it is imperative that the communities embrace peace. Sustained effort is needed to promote and establish peace in any community. This seed of peace needs to be planted in the young minds, which they will carry till their adulthood. Identifying issues that trigger the breakdown of peace, issues that increase conflicts that lead to animosity, values that bind, messages that plant hate and similarities that enhance the peaceful co-existence is the basis of this program.

Peace building will be sustained effort and need to be embraced as part of the development programme.

Increased conflicts, hate on the lines of religion, caste and color damage the fabric of the community and spread fear within the communities.

Peacemakers have a strong role in the restoration of peace. Continuing the education for peace building among the young adults is essential in the present context. Instead of being a one-time effort, this effort should be adopted and repeated as often as possible to sustain the peace within the communities. Peace messages should occupy larger space in all the discourses of the communities. Especially the communities which are vulnerable and/or have faced the cruelty of violence and conflict in the past.

The objectives of the NCYI clearly defines the following:

(vii) To promote unity among the people of India

(ix-n) To encourage the community to strive for justice and human rights according to the Mission of the YMCA.

By:  Udipta Fullonton, Secretary in charge, (YMCA India) of the program