We live in a world that is increasingly divided. Some regions enjoy sustained peace, security, and prosperity, while others fall into seemingly endless cycles of conflict and violence. Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions state that without peace, stability, human rights and effective governance based on the rule of law, the hope of achieving sustainable development is but a dream.
Reading the papers, the tweets, the blogs, the back and forth arguments on social media and news in Africa has left a lot of controversial information about the state of peace in the continent. Waking up every day to news of a man or woman who has committed suicide or was murdered in cold blood, has become the new normal to most Kenyan families and homes.
A report by the World Bank describes that the high level of violence and
insecurity in relationships has definitely destabilized the peace and
harmony in the country. This, in turn, affects efforts of sustainable
development. The state of the present-day relationships, recently hitting the
headlines, is shown where friends and partners have turned wild
against one another.
Stress, hopelessness, unemployment, rejection, depression, money and love have
turned many relationships into butchery where love is no longer enjoyed. Pain,
sorrow and regrets, separation, and worse, death, ‘blanket’
relationships. Partners do all ungodly acts against each other
with the excuse of making the wrong choices.
Research shows that today, relationships are no longer considered as a long-term binding decision that one has to make consciously and with the help of prayer and in line with coherent priorities, perspectives and much patience. Although each relationship is unique to the people involved, the ordeals that follow are devastating to the nation.
My two cents
Every one of us has someone or something we are blaming. Some say that the country needs prayers. Others claim it is about money, love, and rejection, the rest are unsure of whom to blame since it is not their problem. Should we just go on with business as usual and assume the murders in the country do not affect us in any way? Of course no! Human life is very important and when taken away under very devastating circumstances, it affects the development of the nation since it disrupts the focus of citizens.
Murder and suicide should not be sugar-coated. They are a nightmare we need to overcome to meet social peace. Life is precious but the mind is complex and yet be fully understood. There are a lot of mental health issues being addressed and the fact that more people keep talking about it increases the level of awareness which is remarkable.
The problem is with us – young people. We tend to believe that basic things like sadness, anxiety, rejection are not normal. Most couples and especially the young generation lack the understanding that conflicts are bound to occur in any relationship. It is not a smooth path and hence we should be well equipped to tackle its challenges. It requires a lot of counsel which if not sought from the right sources may mislead the concerned parties.
In the normal day and age, social media is one of the misleading factors of increased mental health issues. Some inconclusive research showed that some Television programs may seem to glorify the idea of suicide, rooting deep even to children’s shows.
Trained professionals should be in schools to teach the young growing adults on the value of life.
There is a need to listen more, talk more and maybe sometimes put the phone down and just live. Relationships are just as complex as the brain and maybe people should put extra thought into them. This will go a long way in saving a brother, sister, daughter, son, friend, a colleague from being depressed and thinking of suicide or murder.
