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Youth Forum message on the International Day of Peace
Youth Forum
September 21, 2012

The Youth Forum joins the progressive world in commemorating this year's edition of the International Peace Day. This day was first celebrated in 1982 and is especially dedicated to peace, especially the absence of war and violence. The theme for this year's commemoration is "Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future."

The theme is very befitting of various upheavals that continue to liter almost every corner of the globe. Full-blown wars are being fought across the globe but especially in Africa and the Middle East. This of course is no coincidence as there are various underlying factors that drive such wars.

However, it is within our national sphere as a country that we seek to note this day today, fully aware of the various challenges that continue to plague us to this day. This is in particular to the political climate we have in the country where peace is threatened more by very subtle means as compared to full-blown conflict evident in other areas lacking peace. While violence is a reality in many areas of Zimbabwe, the greatest factor that continues to affect our country's sustainable peace is the fear that is now resident in the majority of citizens, itself emanating from the past violent periods that we have experienced as a country and these date as far back as the liberation struggle that brought about political independence.

Fear, on its own, continues to be cultivated and used as a political weapon by various political and other actors to coerce people towards a certain line of thinking. While it has all along been evidently used by Zanu PF, the cancer is also fast creeping into the former opposition MDC parties, now also forming part of the government with Zanu PF. Violence from whatever quarter cannot and should not be condoned and will always be condemned in the strongest terms.

The youth forum continues to call upon all stakeholders in the country's vast political matrix to cease the use of violence in attaining their political goals. The inculcation of fear in the people is working against citizen involvement in the development of the country. This is not only problematic when it comes to participation in political affairs such as elections but also affects other areas as well including the economy and social harmony.

This also serves as a clarion call to young people to start facing up such futile maneuvers by empty politicians who have always used young people as cannon fodder, in committing acts of political violence yet they continue to wallow in poverty. As youths, let us ensure that the future, which belongs to us, is a peaceful future, by creating a peaceful environment that is not characterized by fear from this day onwards!

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