By Maryam Diallo Dakar
The Youth Department of the Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC), during activities marking the International Day of Peace, has advised secondary school students to remain focused on their education and avoid distractions that could jeopardise their future.
Pastor John S. Akor, Youth Coordinator, Christian Matters (YCCM), said secondary school students are the leaders of tomorrow and that their time in school serves as an important foundation for their future.
He urged the students not to allow themselves to be influenced into cultism or other forms of criminality, including theft and prostitution, despite negative pressure from bad friends and associations.
Pastor Akor warned that some young people have lost their lives as a result of negative associations, urging the students to avoid bad company and make responsible choices.
He also cautioned students against being carried away by materialism, such as the desire for expensive smartphones, jewellery and clothing, stressing that such possessions should not distract them from their education or push them into prostitution and other forms of criminality.
The YCCM coordinator further encouraged the students to become agents of peace by rejecting religious hatred and intolerance. He said students should promote love and peaceful coexistence among people regardless of their religion, tribe, ethnicity or region.
He also advised the students to share the message of peace with their families and report any behaviour capable of provoking violence to their parents and school authorities, noting that peace and security are essential for effective learning.
Responding to the advice, the students expressed appreciation for the engagement and called for more sensitisation programmes by the Interfaith Mediation Centre to help young people make positive choices and promote peaceful coexistence.
