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Participants and moderators of a training program about conflict resolution that was conducted for youth leaders on Sep. 16 at the Oriental College in Kohima town.[/caption]
Dimapur, Sep. 17 (EMN): A training program on conflict resolution, peace-building, life skills, and mediation for youth leaders was held on Sep. 16 at Oriental College in Kohima town. The programme was organised by local capacity-building resource, the Peace Channel of Kohima district, and conducted with the theme, “Together for peace: Respect, safety and dignity for all,’ updates in a press release stated on Sunday.
A resource person, Vilanuo Yhome, president of the Nagaland Catholic Women Association (NCWA), talked to the gathering about the conflict that each individual encounters daily “within oneself, fighting through our own opinions.” She talked about how it was important to understand and respond to it positively which she said would ‘defuse the tension and irritation, and enhance peace within oneself and in the society.’
Also, speaking about the importance of culture and tradition Yhome said, “We are losing the real values of our culture, tradition and language because we are so much engross with the western ideas that we follow or copied their lifestyle and imply it in our day to day living, which in reality we are in a trap, losing our own identity.”
Further, the updates stated that she encouraged the youths to preserve their identity by “making a new innovation, stand on one’s own feet make a difference because peace will not come from external forces but peace comes from within.”
Conflicts are natural and inevitable but it can be resolved through dialogue, she said. She concluded her discourse by challenging the youth to “walk for peace, run for peace, talk for peace, eat for peace and give peace a chance.”
Also, Sedekieno Rino, Kohima District Coordinator for Peace Channel, spoke about the theme of the event. She told the participants about the need to ‘come together as one by respecting each other, have concern for everyone’s safety and live a dignified life,’ which she said would bring peace to the society.
“Stressing on the present situation of our state where most of us are so individualistic, we are losing the sense that we belong to each other. She concluded, challenging the participants to make a firm decision by taking one step each in our everyday life in a journey towards peace and be the change we want to see in the world,” the press release stated.
