Kasim Sumaina in Abuja
The reigning Miss Ambassador for Peace, Nigeria, Queen Judith Okwunodu, has awarded scholarship to 20 indigent students at the primary and secondary levels in Delta State, in an effort to make an impact on the lives of the less privileged in the society.
The Queen, who was in Delta State recently, under the flagship of Peace Ambassador Agency, embarked on an education campaign tour to various schools to bring smiles on the faces of the less privileged.
“Delta State is my starting point as I believe charity always begins at home. My plan is to visit schools around the nation, giving the best pupils from primary one to 6 scholarships while also visiting secondary schools and awarding the best students from JSS one to SS two scholarships. It is also my little way to make the world a better place for the recipient.”
She said with the increasing rate of violence in Nigeria and the world today, preaching peace and its importance is what can make the world a better place, adding, “where else is a perfect place to start but the schools as the youths are not only the leaders of tomorrow but today.
“One of the effective methods for the mainstreaming of peace in the society and indeed promoting the process of peace building is through the instrumentality of formal and informal education. After all, it is said that education is a lifelong learning process for the individual and the community.”
Okwunodu said the essence of the campaign was not to show off but to catch these young ones, and contributing her quota in peace building in Nigeria and the world at large.
“In today’s world, a culture of peace should be seen as the essence of a new humanity, a new global civilisation based on inner oneness and outer diversity. The flourishing of a culture of peace will generate the mind-set in us that is a prerequisite for transition from force to reason, from conflict and violence to dialogue and peace.
“We are the future leaders of Nigeria; hence, we should all live an exemplary life. We shouldn’t be used as a medium of terror and violence. We should all be advocates for peace and unity which is the only way we can make our communities and country a better place.
“Peace is often considered as the fundamental basis of stability, progress and development in human societies. Peace connotes tranquillity, psychological consonance, physical and environmental stability and the sustenance of enabling circumstances that guarantee freedom from all sources of all individual and societal instability.”
