Oh! Peace this is all I yearn for, our blue planet.
Growing up in a country like Cameroon and a community like “Kumba” all I could hear my parents say was, “Rosemary, stay home. We do not want to see you outside after school.” And my mum would always say, “Oh! I pray someday I will be able to leave this community and take my kids to a better place.”
Here we are today, in the USA, a place where we can enjoy some level of peace. I love peace because I have seen violence before my very own eyes.
Do you know what it means to see violence?
At the age of just eight, when returning from school one day, within five minutes of descending the slope of the hill, and while ascending I saw a young boy being set ablaze and people gathered around cheering; with sticks, knives and machetes in support of this cruel action. This is what I saw as a child, and this is what I can remember of my own community. Most parents and children solve their disputes either through fighting or perpetrating one form of violence or another. This was like a way of life, because the most violent were very popular and became household names. Despite all these acts of violence, my parents warned us never to emulate this lifestyle, and to remember the golden rule of love and forgiveness.
Being an eyewitness to both community violence and gun violence has made me realize the importance of peace in my community and the world. All I can imagine is how complicated the world will be if we do not fight for peace. Growing up, I heard stories about the 9/11 incident in the USA, brutal killings, the kidnapping of young girls, like me, in Nigeria. Over the news, I watched how “boko haram,” in the extreme north of my country, is using young girls my age and even younger to perpetrate acts of violence, and turning young boys like my kid brother and others to soldiers; vibrant young people becoming victims and committing violence. What is becoming of this world?
Despite all this, I keep on smiling because I know there is a way out, and I will tell you how we can achieve peace. I think peace is the jewel we need for the world. Peace is possible, because I have been a witness to not only violence but peace as well; peace from the heart; the love between mother and father; the love between families. The love between children and their community, the love of a nation, which comes from the strength of its people and the power of unity in diversity. Activities such as sports, music, arts, civic education, community engagement, and volunteerism as a catalyst to build peace.
My parent’s prayers have been answered, and we are now in a better place. I didn’t emulate the lifestyle I grew up being an eyewitness to rather, I am striving to make a difference. In my new environment, I have learned new cultures, strengthen my capacity for knowledge, and build stronger networks, which I believe will be necessary for building peace not just in my community but for my nation and beyond. As a starting point of this process, I started a peace club through which I can mobilize my peers in school from all races to advocate for peace, and respect for human rights; say no to gender based violence, no to terrorism, and no to violence.
In my community, I have spent over 80 hours of my time volunteering at places such as the boys and girls club, cold weather shelter, piney park run, sunrise senior living and STEM (science Technology, Engineering and Math) events like the Shiloh middle school where we interacted with over 200 middle school students. To enable me to become a better leader, I have completed the Leadership Challenge program at my school. This program gives students the opportunity to develop their leadership skills on a personal, group and community level.
Having witnessed extreme acts of violence, I am motivated and determined to make a difference.