We all are responsible to maintain peace! /Gemechu Tussa/
Peace is now costing too much to those who need to have it due to the actions of groups or interest for power wealth and the like. Peace could be a reality if and only if there is a strong public participation. Active participation of citizens has a crucial role in building a sustainable and smooth political and economic system.
Without active participation of citizens nothing can be successful. People could prove the source of all forms of bliss or curse. If there is a good will of the public, there will be a good political and economic progress. At the same time when people become reluctant to make a decision on their countries’ social, economic and political life, nothing beneficial could take shape. These things are manifest in our country as well as in other parts of the world.
Public participation is the bedrock on which democracy rests. It enriches democracy – including helping to ensure better decision-making and strengthening politicians’ accountability to the people. It helps build strong democratic parliaments, which in turn play a vital role in ensuring peace, development and respect for human rights.
People have both rights and responsibilities to take part in democracy. These include formal participation such as voting in elections or standing for election, and informal involvement such as informing oneself about public affairs, having political conversations – including through social media – and demonstrating tolerance for views that differ from one’s own.
Public authorities – including parliaments – have a responsibility to provide education, information and encouragement for public participation. For many parliaments, these rights and responsibilities are usually well defined in the constitution and in law.
In the ever growing economy like Ethiopia, active participation of people in political issues has a vital role. In building the economy as well as spurring the democratization process their involvement is vital. Citizens are the backbone for that particular political system. As a man can’t move upright with a problem on his backbone nor could a country bids fare without popular participation.
Likewise, if a country lacks active participation of citizens its progress will be crippled. It can’t move as fast as it should. There might be several reasons that deter the public from actively participating in the socioeconomic political life of their country. This could result from diffidence that attends the roughness of the political terrain of that particular country. Or it could also result from bad governance. Under such situation the government has to do all it can so as to promote public participation. After all, what is the role of a government without public participation? What is democracy without public involvement?
The other most important thing about public participation is promotion of peace. When there is an active participation of people in their country’s life they will clearly identify their problems and they also suggest corresponding solutions.
From our recent experience, we have witnessed that despite all attempts by destructive agents to disturb the peace and stability of the nation, the country has sustained its peace and stability. There might be several reasons that helped the country to safeguard its peace. The first and the most important one is the active participation of the public at all administrative layers-from lower to federal level. The people have discussed their problem freely on various public platforms. They have reflected their view concerning their burring issues. For that reason, the country has regained its breath.
What if people are divested of the chance of participation? It is obvious that, the experience of dictatorial leadership have demonstrated that when people are refused the chance to reflect their view freely, they look other means to disturb the peace of that country.
What is more, lucky, we are found in an era where everyone can reflect his/her view via several media. A government that is smart enough to analyze the criticism of both its supporters as well as its opponents can sustain its peace. At the same, if that particular government abstains from giving attention to the public concerns the result is obvious.
As peace is the basis for national development, everyone should understand the value of peace and democracy. Though a bit tardy in responding to complaints, the incumbent has been responding to good governance problems such as the provision of praying places and graveyard to the shunned ones, among other things.
As the experience of “democratic” countries showed, the active participation of citizens has a key role in socioeconomic and political life of that particular country. Active participation of citizens have a positive impact on efforts to eradicate poverty, hunger and achieve international development goals, empower and protect citizens, and realize the fundamental democratic right of participation.
What is more, it also promotes people’s well-being and the development of their skills and multiplies over the number of active members of political parties, which are vital organizations in a strong democracy.
It is possible for the entire people to have mechanisms to bring and maintain peace that local people could easily make peace and stability a reality even in dangerous conflicts. Such conflicts are more severe in developing countries although there are some improvements nowadays.
Ethiopia could be considered as one of the countries striving hard to ensure peace and stability and maintain it through public participation. In fact, there were a lot of confusing propaganda to poison the country’s peace and stability. There were even practical attempts beyond the propaganda that aimed to destabilize the country and jeopardize its forward movement under the pretexts of public questions to good governance.
The various problems in the society could be political, economic or social. Public participation in realizing peace and stability is so strong in such countries. Ethiopia believes the fact that its internal situation could determine its external condition. Its policy emphasized that the country needs to ensure its internal peace in the first place.
Such ever rising public participation could contribute in strengthening and promoting sustainable peace and stability in the country, which enabled to bond the government and the people as strong peace partnership.
Anti-peace groups have been using religion as a cover for their hidden agenda to ensure many who could pay any possible sacrifice. However, this could be made hay by the cooperation of the entire people around the world.
They should pay any cost to have peace in this world. The sacrifice for peace worth than gold that it is so crucial to have peace as it is the fundamental element for every activity in this world.
In ensuring lasting peace, the participation of the youth and women could take the lions share. There is need to have international organizations coordinating public struggles for peace. It is mandatory to exert consolidated international efforts than acting separately to enhance peace.