Many have failed to have a second thought on the word volunteer. A Volunteer as defined by the Oxford advanced learner's dictionary is a person who does a job without being paid for it. Society today has taken Volunteer as jobless and idle persons; most especially in Africa and Nigeria for example, people don't believe you should do anything for free. But let’s be realistic, is that really true, are we fair to our conscience. This idea of payment for every job carried out or assignment you do, is fast becoming part of life in this part of the world, children in neighbourhood can no longer get a bucket of water free for an elderly neighbour without expecting a cent in return. Being a volunteer is inevitable in life; is either you are a volunteer of progress or a volunteer for destruction. So the point is this, there is a need to be a volunteer for progress, because it is a life tonic to our conscience just try and give a helping hand to a friend or anybody you could help and see the satisfaction in your heart. It is not a form of conjuring, but a reality of life. Being a volunteer does not make you jobless or make you to leave your primary goal of life, voluntary services can either be directly or indirectly; your money can aid a project going on in your locality, your advice can help build good leaders, your change in character can help stop crime in your area, your activities can help save the life of somebody, your time used as peer educator in your environs can change peers in your area for good, so you can see doing all this does not make you jobless. But you have succeeded in doing a voluntary work; you see how simple it is thanks to organizations like the Red Cross, YMCA, Rotary and other NGOs who have made voluntary services as simple as a pleasure boat; over 200 millions of volunteers all over the world are giving their services to humanity through these organizations and we can all testify to the succor it has brought to thousands, from Somalia up to Lagos, Kaduna and even the Tsunami and Haiti crisis that is just slipping off our minds. All these have not made them jobless, but they are all professional in their areas of specialization. Most breakthroughs in Europe are championed by volunteers. Voluntary services are not meant for applause, so forget if people are not appreciating. Remember “Sacrifice is not made for applause”, it is the cheery air blown into our conscience that matters.
As we join the building team of a great and new Nigeria, we must be ready to make voluntary contribution in order to achieve our close reaching dream of a FREE NIGERIA. Remembering that America, Britain and other European countries we make as our reference point during argument were all built on selfless sacrifice of hero past and are still living through sacrifice of the present generation. So let us save the dream of our heroes past by joining the league of faithful Nigerians taking pain to restore back the dignity of the heart of Africa, its pride and future hope, a place of inspiration and strong hold, it is no other place but NIGERIA THE GIANT OF AFRICA.
Article written in 2004 for Vanguard Newspaper by Oni, I.G
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
“DEEPENING ACTIVE YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES IN AFRICA: A PRACTICAL APPROACH FOR 2011 TO 2015”
Democracy is beautiful; it affords the people a bill of rights, a sense of freedom. Democracy affords
us the opportunity to see through the eyes of yesterday’s ideas using thinkers for tomorrow’s
visions. Democracy helps one to give back to the society (doer); the culture of democracy is fast
sweeping across the African soil, and if ours must stand the test of time, African youth must take
active part in the process, because democracy in Europe and America that are standing today had
active youth participation.
When we talk of democracy there are some key elements, like election, African youths must know
that election is not charity, it is a process where key players in management of the democratic
process that would bring growth and development are elected into office, therefore we must know
it is a shared responsibility; also the importance of right information must not be neglected, it will
make a lot difference to our generation. A key ingredient of democratic process is active
participation by all citizens.
Having seen, that democracy affords us the opportunity to serve, that is active participation, and
election a key element that is shared responsibility and we the youth a major players that would
ensure that the process works and is sustained, how then can we deepen our participation?
The first thing we must now is that our level of organization is much more than money, for now
when we say young people should come get involved in the democratic process they think money,
but we must know that nobody can stop an idea that its time has come, the level of knowledge is the
only thing we need that would give us our dream continent. Our thought process must have to
change, Adolph Hitler once said ‘Government are fortunate because followers are not thinking’; we
must begin to think impossibility, innovation, passion because if change must come we must be
passionate about it, integrity towards wealth, action, association; we must begin to think giving,
having a contributing mind set, think community be people oriented not self centered must have
value for time and above think communication.
Another way to take active part is to build ourselves, amount of knowledge available to young
people is the foundation of success, our democracy needs professional, people that have skills,
values to add, not just complaining, the more you read the better you become, our literate level
must rise; we must see that violence is not the way to end bad governance or leadership but
persuasion, negotiation and diplomacy is the key. We must begin to networks, youths they say, must
especially Africans to be selfish, and not willing to share ideas, however with numbers to our
advantage, we must break that jinx.
In conclusion for 2011 to 2015, we must begin to add values to our life’s the error Black youths in
America made in the 60’s and 70’s of going only into entertainment (music/dance/performing arts)
must be avoided, though such professions are nice but it will not bring the needed development, our
values must also change, me must believe in a common wealth, be community centered, formation
of positive coalition making our voices held and then make attempt for elective positions, after
showing the elders that we can be trusted and worthy to be handed over to.
us the opportunity to see through the eyes of yesterday’s ideas using thinkers for tomorrow’s
visions. Democracy helps one to give back to the society (doer); the culture of democracy is fast
sweeping across the African soil, and if ours must stand the test of time, African youth must take
active part in the process, because democracy in Europe and America that are standing today had
active youth participation.
When we talk of democracy there are some key elements, like election, African youths must know
that election is not charity, it is a process where key players in management of the democratic
process that would bring growth and development are elected into office, therefore we must know
it is a shared responsibility; also the importance of right information must not be neglected, it will
make a lot difference to our generation. A key ingredient of democratic process is active
participation by all citizens.
Having seen, that democracy affords us the opportunity to serve, that is active participation, and
election a key element that is shared responsibility and we the youth a major players that would
ensure that the process works and is sustained, how then can we deepen our participation?
The first thing we must now is that our level of organization is much more than money, for now
when we say young people should come get involved in the democratic process they think money,
but we must know that nobody can stop an idea that its time has come, the level of knowledge is the
only thing we need that would give us our dream continent. Our thought process must have to
change, Adolph Hitler once said ‘Government are fortunate because followers are not thinking’; we
must begin to think impossibility, innovation, passion because if change must come we must be
passionate about it, integrity towards wealth, action, association; we must begin to think giving,
having a contributing mind set, think community be people oriented not self centered must have
value for time and above think communication.
Another way to take active part is to build ourselves, amount of knowledge available to young
people is the foundation of success, our democracy needs professional, people that have skills,
values to add, not just complaining, the more you read the better you become, our literate level
must rise; we must see that violence is not the way to end bad governance or leadership but
persuasion, negotiation and diplomacy is the key. We must begin to networks, youths they say, must
especially Africans to be selfish, and not willing to share ideas, however with numbers to our
advantage, we must break that jinx.
In conclusion for 2011 to 2015, we must begin to add values to our life’s the error Black youths in
America made in the 60’s and 70’s of going only into entertainment (music/dance/performing arts)
must be avoided, though such professions are nice but it will not bring the needed development, our
values must also change, me must believe in a common wealth, be community centered, formation
of positive coalition making our voices held and then make attempt for elective positions, after
showing the elders that we can be trusted and worthy to be handed over to.
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