By Patrick Ofoe Nudzi
Accra, Nov. 23, GNA – The National Peace Council (NPC) has urged students of the West Africa Senior High School (WASS) to imbibe the values of tolerance to navigate their daily activities and help promote peace, growth and development.
Numo Blafo Akotia Omaetu III, Board Member, NPC, representing the Traditional Religion, said tolerance was achieved through respecting, accepting and appreciating diverse cultures, beliefs and ways of life – values that must be part of them.
Speaking to the students as part of the National Peace Council’s capacity development and advocacy initiative in second-cycle schools for the 2025, he called on the students to approach issues with openness, constant communication and uphold freedom of thought.
The Board Member said tolerance would foster a harmonious society when they actively recognised the fundamental rights of others even when there were disagreements.
He made reference to the composition of the NPC with people from diverse religious and beliefs backgrounds but had been working harmoniously, accepting each other’s views and promoting peace across the country.
“At our level we exude tolerance because if the Christian and Moslems will not understand me as a traditionalist, then how do we understand one another to be united to resolve conflicts somewhere involving diverse groups of people,” he said.
Numo Blafo Akotia Omaetu III added that: “Let’s learn to tolerate each other, learn to understand that we are one people from different backgrounds. Let’s treat each other with respect, today you may be at the top and tomorrow you may find yourself at the bottom. It is needed that we stay united.”
Mrs Janet Sarnay-Kuma, Director Capacity Development and Outreach, NPC, said they sought to conscientise students on peaceful coexistence and nonviolent approaches to addressing grievances, adding that she was enthused by the level of understanding of peaceful co-existence exhibited by the students.
“They were willing to learn, they participated well in the discussion and the questions they asked showed that they had understood what we gave them and they will go all the way to put it into practice,” she said.
Erica Essel Donkor, a form two, Home Economics student, WASS, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that: “I have learnt that we should be peace makers, tolerate each other, teach our friends how to also tolerate one another and avoid conflict in the school.”
Madam Josephine Vivian Bonsi-Twumasi, a School Counselor, WASS, said, discipline had been their
hallmark and the values impacted into the students from the programme would be helpful as the counselors would be reminding them most often.
“The programme has re-echoed the value of being a peace maker where they must always introduce peace in any situation. We are grateful to the National Peace Council for the campaign and we assure them that we shall put everything into practice,” she said.
GNA
Christian Akorlie