"And that is the reason why this victory is great, because different players have made contributions to the win." Sachin Tendulkar

The rigors of the academic process ensures that the society is enriched with great road maps for future success. It is imperative also, that there be a quantum leap from analysis - paralysis to an even more pragmatic approach that yields tangible success.

In 2015, I was selected to moderate a team of young African scholars on a very touchy issues. These young Africans continue to demonstrate astute knowledge of current trends in political, economic and environmental issues. As Millennials currently in the centre of major discourse especially with regards to the future of work.

Here is Chibueze Ofobuike's account of what happened that day as we deliberated from different parts of Africa, Europe and America.

So, this mind-blowing Team, which I am proud and privileged to be part of, got engaged in the very sensitive issue of Feminism. But this time, in a more intriguing fashion as efforts were made to towards distinguishing when a person crosses the line from becoming a Feminist, to a Feminine, and even to a Womanist.

A lot was learnt!

In the words of Irvine Julia, an incredibly smart Kenyan, 'feminine and feminists seek to be part of the society. They seek to feel involved and be respected as individuals and not just given formal positions or responsibilities for the sake of it'

Do we know that there are types of Feminism? Asked Sweet Youssuf, another smart lady from Northern Ethiopia. I never knew that. But Maalika Kazia, a scintillating Kenyan knows so. She said that some Feminists may be more aggressive than others in the sense that they feel superior to men which is ironic as the whole point of Feminism is to advocate for sole opportunities, respect and treatment for women as is accorded to men. While Kato Gobe , in his ever captivating manner, projected that there are Radical Feminists and Liberal Feminists. The Radicals asks for a radical reordering of the society in every aspect of social life, to eliminate male domination, while those that just seek for equality represent the liberals.

I never knew that women are in the majority in most Countries of Africa. Mervin Thuranira Kilima made me to know that. Sadly, he bemoaned, 'women do not vote for women'. As I am yet to ascertain his claim, I have the very simple perception of this issue. Women deserves to be duly accorded their rights, respects and regards.

Sadly again, many of us pretend to be on the side of the female folks but do not really exhibit that. Little wonder when Samuel Ukey, a rapid growing Nigerian Social blogger, and activist, asked the possibility of someone becoming something and yet does not believe in it., he got a resounding 'Yes, it's possible'.
Maalika, again, posited that some men say they believe in feministic principles yet they find more subtle and indirect ways of exerting superiority.

It is that word, superiority, that rakes up my brain. Why would we think, or believe that we are superior to a gender that have shown strength and capability in all areas of life? Our societies need to get rid of this. It is a very sad scenario to see the male folk misbehaving just because we believe that we are superior. Nonsense!

A young man would walk into a gathering of mixed gender, shake the hands of all the men and wave at the ladies. What does that mean?

The other week, I boarded a taxi and I sat at the back seat between two men. One of them later dropped along the road, and a lady entered at the next stop, and took over his seat while I still maintained my position. The other young man gave me this I-am-disapointed-at-you look, and even had to tell me that I should have stepped down and asked the lady to enter at the middle. I couldn't just imagine our orientation! So it is not right for a woman to stay close to the door in a vehicle while a man stays at the middle? Not for safety purposes, but rather for superiority. I wished I had enough time to talk to him.

Well, for the benefit of the ignorant, women are as important as men. They even do better in many aspects, more than we can. My Father died when I was nine, leaving myself and my seven siblings to the care of my Mother. She made sure we had the warmth, the trainings, and the guardian. She was full of character, mentally and psychologically strong. Myself, and my siblings had the best, solely courtesy of her. How many men can do this?

So guys, instead of struggling with understanding the big grammar of being a Feminist, Feminine or Womanist, getting it right is very simple. Give your wife the space to express herself. Allow your sister to become what her heart yearns for. Respect your boss, who is a woman, as much as you could have respected a man.

They deserve our respect!

Thank you, Mr. Moderator, Chimezie Judemary Udechukwu , Africa is very proud of you.

I must commend Ngozi Emmanuel for inspiring the flow of the debate on that day. She introduced me to the concept of "womanism" and being womanist rather than feminist.

Chibueze Ofobuike also deserves some good accolades for capturing the thoughts of the group so succinctly.

OjisiEmezie

"The joy and fulfilment of service lies in the plenitude of willing hands ready to volunteer their time, talent, treasure and thinking in the development of their community." Chimezie Udechukwu

Every year since its formation in1945, heads of States and Governments from over 194 countries gather at the United Nations Headquarters in New York for the Annual General Assembly, the high point of which is the General Debate. Leading their various national delegations, these representatives come to meet, discuss, decide " act" and hope to to get results by their actions; results that alter global trends.

Welcome to the United Nations General Assembly, popularly known as "UNGA', the annual gathering of global leaders to discuss various topical issues ranging from cyber crimes, terrorism, migration, climate climate change, transnational corruption, child trafficking, domestic violence against women, women's rights, global peace and security, human rights abuse, the sustainable development goals.

The theme for the general debate of the 73rd session of the General Assembly is "Making the United Nations relevant to all people: Global Leadership and shared Responsibilities for Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable Societies"

Armed with the finest of Speeches, the strongest of wits and the most prolific oratory, this is the stage where men are separated from boys when it comes to global leadership, diplomacy, bargaining and negotiations. It is here that a country's national interest well enshrined in its domestic policies is articulated and presented as its foreign policy thrust. This is indeed the table of men.

"A good speech should be like a woman’s skirt”, Winston Churchill once said. “Long enough to  cover the subject and short enough to create interest.”  Among the over 1,500 addresses to the General Assembly since 2010,  since the voluntary 15-minute time limit suggested by the UN and the worldwide average of 20 minutes, we have been inundated with fine rhetoric and less action.

From Fidel Castro, Gaddafi, Sekou Toure to St. John Paul II, Mother Theresa and Obama, we have witnessed a great deal of impact when it comes to speaking. In 2017, Mr. Trump's speech clearly emphasized the reemergence of the US as a a force to reckon with. In that same year, Nigeria's President Buhari who was the 8th on the first day of the Speakers List dwelt more on the foreign policy direction of the country than its domestic affairs.

The 73rd session of the UN General Assembly which opened on Tuesday 18 September 2018 will feature a high-level General Debate which will commence on Tuesday, 25 September 2018, and is scheduled to last for nine working days.

On Monday, 24 September, the UNGA there was a high-level plenary meeting on global peace in honor of the centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela, known as the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit.  This is the crux of this piece, as Madiba was known, just like Gandhi for his nonviolent approach to resolving conflicts. Hence it was fitting that his statue was unveiled at the United Nations headquarters at the event, to further demonstrate the quality of work done by the legendary Peace Icon.

On Wednesday, 26 September, the UNGA will hold a high-level meeting on the fight against tuberculosis, as agreed by Member States in February 2018. On Thursday, 27 September, the UN will hold a one-day comprehensive review of the progress achieved in the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which will be the third high-level meeting of the UNGA on the issue.

Words are powerful and great leaders understand the power of words especially backed by actions. The job of a leader is to use words, either spoken or written to get followers to do more, dream more, aspire more and achieve more. That is the intent of every speech, particularly those made at the United Nations.

It was once said that "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then we can have peace. It was Eleanor Roosevelt who once said. "It isn't enough to talk about peace; one must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it; one must work at it."

We are still talking peace because it is a process and not a single meal that you swallow in one morsel; it is more of dietary plan for healthy living. You cannot talk about something that you don't believe in, neither can you fully act upon what you are not passionate about.

"Peace is proof and lack of it is a symptom", the words of Ezekiel Solesi and I quite agree. You cannot have peace and hide it. The manifestations of peace is in development, progress, healthy living, harmonious coexistence, familial love, good neighborliness, acceptance, tolerance, equitable distribution of wealth, and a sustainable culture among others.

Peace like love is expressive, isn't silent like a graveyard, which is like snow sprinkled with hot water. Peace motivates us to aspire more; it encourages us to love more. In doing so, people come to realize, understand and accept the relevance of the United Nations as an organization that has not only outlived its predecessors but also waxing stronger even in old age.

Having participated in some Model UN conferences, I have an understanding of the workings of the General Debate. Last year,  at UNGA 72 their Excellencies deliberated on the theme "Focusing on People: Striving for Peace and a Decent Life for All on a Sustainable Planet". This is an aspect of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs and it highlights the importance of people in any development plan. Notice also that there is a seeming continuity in the this year's topic. Peace is the language of development, and people are at the heart of ever peace initiative.

This year, the need to restate the relevance of the United Nations could not have come at a better time. As they mount that podium, sit in at every high level meeting, slap palms in every diplomatic breakfast, lunch or dinner, engage in several activities on the sidelines their Excellencies must understand that words may be powerful, but actions are transformational!

After all the rhetoric, all we need is love and peace to truly make for sustainable society. Yes, this is the time for the willing hands to come together, to indulge in their passion for a peaceful world devoid of friction, rancor, conflagrations, crises and Conflicts

At this point, the words of Rasheed Oluwadamilare Yusuf during the International Peace Day is quite instructive;

"How do you wake up in the morning? What are your first thoughts? He says, I am better than him, she says I am more beautiful. They say they deserve better, do they forget that they didn't make themselves to be, do they forget that circumstances makes one look the way they look, or do they forget that the ones left behind starved from the horrors you faced."

" One thing we are all given is the auto privilege to choose what our inner peace should be. The anger in your eyes are to put the fire in his eyes off by choosing what you can make of the future with your calm. The battle that the land suffers for are because of our ego not for humanity but for ideation that your words must be the last and leave bruises on them."

"But there is always a law that we can't ever change no matter how powerful, *life is more than just 4 letter words but fragments of files  that will always be referenced.

" Today is international day of peace, but I only won't preach that but to remind you that peace can't be international if you as an individual don't see it as nature that must be respected and cherished."

For all your actions, before you decide if it's peaceful, it starts with how you ask yourself these questions I learnt from one best thing that happened to me (Rotary) and how you reply to them:

*Is it the truth?
*Is it fair to all concerned?
*Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
*Will it build good will and better friendship?"

"Peace doesn't come with wanting to accept that race, wealth, tribe benefits should be spoken against , but it comes by not seeing that this doesn't exist at all.
*pledge to yourself to always find peace and must keep it close to your heart."

This for me is an important message that global leaders must understand. Their Excellencies must take very deep lessons away, especially from the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit held yesterday, that is; they must be willing to Build, Promote and Keep the Peace!

Mandela was passionate about global peace. It is time for us to indulge in that passion!

OjisiEmezie

"Peace is a journey of mutual respect, tolerance and acceptance and not a designated stop like the grave yard. It is a tangible reality that is attainable rather than a mystical abstract term". Chimezie Udechukwu

Today is the International Day for Peace and I have always held that " graveyard peace is like snow sprinkled with hot water, its end is imminent."

You cannot achieve peace if you don't accept the fact that we have differences which we must embrace and tolerate; and, similarities which we must promote and celebrate.  This is the core of inclusion and diversity at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.

We wake up every day to news of violence in Northern Nigeria, Congo DR, Syria, Myanmar, Cameroun and the litany continues.. this further shows how divisive we have become, how much we have either refused to build or stopped building, using peace as our blocks, towards a safer and cleaner world.

No building is finished even when construction is complete. Every building is a continuous process of maintenance to avoid depreciation, defacement and abandonment. The same goes with the peace process. It is a continuous efforts of collective inputs geared towards a solid sustainable culture of acceptance, harmonious coexistence and love. When these ingredients are inside the pot, the peace soup becomes more palatable to relish.

This year, theme is *Right to Peace - The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70 is quite poignant and points to the essence of justice in the promotion of peace. In a world where the inalienable rights of individuals are trampled on daily because of their ethnic background, religious association and even political affiliations, there is a compelling need to revisit the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as codified in 1948.

There are six elements that are critical in delivering the SDGs. They include;

1. Dignity: to end poverty and fight inequalities

2. People: to ensure healthy lives, knowledge, and the inclusion of women and children

3. Prosperity: to grow a strong, inclusive, and transformative economy

4. Planet: to protect our ecosystems for all societies and our children

5. Justice: to promote safe and peaceful societies, and strong institutions

6. Partnership: to catalyse global solidarity for sustainable development

At the 70th  session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 when the SDGs was signed, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari stated that Peace should be added to the 6 other elements that makes up the SDGs and I agree, if only he too can match words with action.

Why?

It is simple.

There can not be sustainable development without peace building. Peace building is a holistic package. It is imperative that we key into the culture of peace campaign of UNESCO.

Again, I have always argued that "Peace is the language of development and service is the currency of peace. When a leader fails to render service to his people then he is depriving his people the dividends of leadership and that fuels frustration which begets aggression. This is how civil strife erupts. This trend and pattern can be avoided."

Therefore it is safe to state that Peace transcends religion, culture and political affiliation. This is because violence has no filial or consanguine knowledge. It is imperative we give peace a chance and continue to mould the building blocks of peace.

We must not be like Robert Frost's definition of a Diplomat as "A man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age." but like Democritus emphasize our global citizenship when we believe in this statement; "to a wise and good man the whole earth is his fatherland."

Our world and indeed our continent can thrive again if we continue to invest in the building blocks of peace.

I am Chimezie Judemary Udechukwu. I Speak. I Compere. I Volunteer. I Preach Peace and I believe in Nigeria.

What's your pledge for Peace?

OjisiEmezie