Former United States senator Lewis Cass once said, “People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do.”
The first step to promoting peace and unity is by being a peaceful and amiable person yourself. If I were President, I would spend my free time helping those traditionally underserved. I would advocate against injustice and put these words to action by providing avenues for individuals to grow. I would create nonprofit organizations that help those in impoverished areas acquire the skillsets to be further educated and employed so that one day they can inspire their own communities to do more. I would also create awareness campaigns that shed light on issues such as rape, violence, and bullying. I would also participate in charity work and rebuild houses, beautify our communities, and assist those who are less fortunate. By witnessing these actions, I would hope that others would follow suit and create a ripple effect of giving back to those with less than us.
This alone won’t create peace and unity though. We must start encouraging the acceptance of different viewpoints and allowing for conversation to happen rather than shunning controversy and difference in opinion. One way to do this is by having more diversity in our representation and accounting for more women, minorities, and younger constituents. Another way is by propagating inter-cultural education across the country. This could be done in a really fun way in which people from all spectrums—social, economic, political, and cultural, can come together and learn about the differences that make us who we are. I firmly believe that through education, people will become more tolerant and accepting of each other’s views. And when this happens, we can live a life of peace and unity.
Sometimes writing things down bring it to life. I once heard a speech from a Holocaust survivor, Ben Lesser who said that there’s nothing that can be done to fix the Holocaust but you can let your voice be heard and tell the world how you feel. By expressing your message, you give a voice to those who were silenced and give hope to future generations that these events will not repeat. I would follow a similar suit in which citizens can pledge online against hatred, bullying, injustice, and intolerance and hope that these messages spread. I will allow these messages to be public so others can read these and contribute their own share of positivity as well. By being exposed to messages of love and hope, people can tune out the demons in their own life and pursue living a life of acceptance and happiness.
Through nonprofit charity work and civic engagement, sociopolitical and cultural education, and a written initiative to strive for excellence, I firmly believe that we can create a more peaceful and united country. And as President, I realize that I alone wouldn’t be able to bring forth this change. But if I lead through example, my followers will inevitably find hope, for when they are lost or hurt, they can look to each other to be the best version of themselves and a role model for those around them.