Maureen Okpe
Authors-In-Schools creative club have advocated creative education culture as a solution to reduce prevalence of drug abuse, and violence among teenagers and adult in the society.
The club at the virtual 5th annual convention, with theme; ‘Harnessing Creativity for Social Impact and Community Development called to shun all vices,and be open to mentorship to grow a personality the world need.
Assessment Officer, Federal Polytechnic Auchi, Comrade Joe Ajaero called for concerted effort to be taken to curb the menace as the impact of drug, abuse and violence in over time have become enormous.
Ajaero while delivering his keynote address said, “it is incumbent upon us to cultivate alternative avenues for self-expression and personal growth. Creativity, in all its forms, possesses a remarkable capacity to heal, inspire, and empower individuals.
“By encouraging artistic endeavors, innovative projects, and community initiatives, we create spaces for individuals to channel their energies constructively, while also enabling them to discover their innate potential to effect positive change.
“In our pursuit of progress and development, it is important that we acknowledge the profound impact that drugs, abuse, and violence have on our communities. These destructive elements cripple our potential for growth, hinder our collective well-being, and stunt the creativity that is the lifeblood of innovation and social change.
“To counter this grave predicament, we must foster a culture of intolerance towards these vices and empower ourselves to build a better, safer world.
“We must recognize that education plays a pivotal role in dismantling the foundations of drug addiction, abuse, and violence. By equipping our youth and adults alike with knowledge about the devastating consequences of these behaviors, we empower them to make informed decisions and resist the allure of harmful substances and actions.
“Education must be paired with empathy, fostering an environment that embraces the vulnerable and provides a support system for those who have fallen victim to the vicious cycle of addiction, abuse, or violence.”
For his part, Club Advisor, Rev. Fr. Innocent Elogie noted that the level of development attained in our world today is as a result of the creative and innovative minds of human beings, this is as people saw the challenges in their communities and came up with novel ideas that have not only benefitted them, but have contributed to world’s development.
“Think of cars, aircraft, computer, cell phones, social media softwares and apps, Google search engine, notebook and biro etc, all these were borne out of people’s ideas and creativity. Even the best book you have come across, the best theories you have come across, music, movies, paintings, etc, they are all people’s ideas. In our time, we can also be creative enough to come up with ideas and innovations that can help our community in no small way, and better the world at large.
“Creativity is a skill that you can work on with time, training, and effort. There are many areas you can focus on to improve your overall creativity. Engage in creative exercises like reading, writing, and listening to music to sharpen your creative mind. Learn as much as possible and open yourself up to new ideas and experiences. The points below can help you and contribute to your creativity,” he said.
Executive Speaker AIS CREATIVE Club 5th Annual Convention, Chief Richard Lamai
calls for the collaboration of forces, to ignite inspiration, and propel collective vision towards a brighter and more prosperous future.
Lamai said, “through the amalgamation of innovation, imagination, and collaboration, we shall continue to explore the remarkable potentials of creativity in transforming communities and fostering positive change.”
High points of the meeting was the quiz section, dissolution and creation of interim executive