If you thought xenophobia in South Africa is the worst thing that has happened on the African continent in recent months, think again! I don’t think it unreasonable to say that the world over, things are either politically or economically shaky and the situation is far from being different right here in Africa. Remember the massacre of 147 students in a Kenyan university few weeks ago, recurring terrorist attacks on Nigeria, the Ebola epidemic which broke out in west Africa over a year ago taking thousands lives, and many other devastating stories which don’t even make news headlines. We could choose to turn a blind eye to these happenings because things are still okay in the city we live in, or we could become negative or hopeless, but to what end? Won’t that be shooting ourselves in the foot? Because what doesn’t directly affect us today, could one day affect someone we know, someone we love, if we allow ourselves to remain dull and indifferent to the alarming events in our society. This is why today’s Edition of Big Up Africa is dedicated to peace in Africa.
For us here at 1Africa, the concept of peace in Africa isn’t just wishful thinking. It’s something we take seriously so we write about it. We can’t all be politicians and lawmakers but we all certainly can be advocates of peace in our spheres of influence. Whether in business, education or entertainment, you have an audience and it’s your responsibility to positively influence the people in that space. That way, we’ll ensure that the peace we Africans so desire will begin with individuals taking care of their motives and actions, helping others become better and spreading a message of hope and love, not hatred or negativity.
Many positive stories remain untold, but we believe that right now, someone out there is spearheading change and peace in an Afrcan community. To you all preachers of peace and hope, we say “salute”.