Rotary and Rotaract clubs make donation to primary school in the spirit of peace and to promote conflict resolution
A government primary school has received a donation of educational material for use by its students.
The Rotaract Club of Antigua and Rotary Club of Antigua donated a bookshelf and story books to the T.N. Kirnon Primary School’s library last Friday, February 17, in recognition of Rotary’s Peace-Building and Conflict Prevention Month.
Rotaract President Dr. Namadi Belle notes that, in recent times, the country has been witnessing an increase in violence, particularly in schools, and this has become an issue of grave concern.
Dr. Belle also referred to the world landscape, which, she says, has been traumatized by wars, social upheaval, tribal conflict, racial injustice, violence against women and children, abuse of the environment, and economic inequality.
In addition to all these atrocities, she says, the way in which people function and relate to one another in social spaces – especially the youth – seems to be constantly riddled with the elements that are the opposite of peace and understanding.
Therefore, says Dr. Belle, there is a need to re-orient our ways of thinking and equip ourselves with the tools of conflict resolution, so that our actions reflect the peace and understanding this world is thirsting for.
Rotary’s goal is to create environments where peace can be built and maintained through sustainable and measurable activities in communities worldwide.
As a humanitarian organization, Dr. Belle says, peace is a cornerstone of the Rotary International mission, and the body believes that when people work to create peace in their communities, that change can have a global effect.
“Our actions must be intentional; our actions must be deliberate if our goal is to create a world that symbolizes harmony and freedom for all our citizens,” she admonishes.
As citizens, she adds, we should not only seek to embrace these virtues, but to demonstrate them daily in our homes, schools, churches and the workplace.
