Rotarians marks World Understanding Day, call for dialogue over world crisis

IN line with one of the focus of Rotary international, the Rotary Club of Lagos at the weekend celebrated the World Understanding Day and the 113th anniversary of the organization by creating awareness on the issue of peace and conflict resolution. The theme of the event was tagged: Peace and conflict resolution in the Nigerian context.

In his opening remarks, president of the club, Rotn. Adeoye Tugbobo, talked about the effects of war, why war should be avoided and how it can be avoided. “We always say it is better to talk and discuss our problems than going to war. For some of us who are much older, we know the aftermath of the Second World War. The world was determined never to witness another war, which led to the creation of the United Nations. Even in Nigeria, the civil war that took place in 1967 to 1970 was a very big lesson to us all. And I am sure those who witnessed it also would never wish we have another one.”

According to the Deputy Consul General at the German Embassy, Mrs. Alexandra Herr, who was the guest speaker, the Germans and Europeans are now against use of military intervention due to the lessons learnt from World War 2. “Unfortunately, the number of crises is increasing worldwide, leading to a high number of people being displaced or fleeing their country. More than 65 million people are displaced and seeking asylum in other countries. This is the highest number we have experienced since World War 2, meaning the world is no longer at peace.”