LEADERSHIP AND TOLERANCE: TOWARDS PEACE AND NONVIOLENCE

Abstract

It is common knowledge that a society is more prosperous during the time of peace
and non-violence. These elements lead to rapid developmental growth of any given
society. To this end, peace and non-violence become desirable. In fact, lovers of
peace preach non-violence; nothing could be more desirable. It is important, however,
to ask: how can peace be attained? How do we maintain peace and non-violence? Can
leadership bring about peace and non-violence? What about tolerance? These
questions lead us to the problem this study seeks to address: can leadership and
tolerance lead to peace and non-violence in the society? Nations have been torn apart
in some part of the world due to poor leadership amongst other factors? Some leaders
have gone to war just to massage their ego rather than broker peace and pursue nonviolence.
Some leaders too cannot accommodate dissident voices. This brings about
chaos in the society and raises tensions. Thus, opposition can be cramped down and
freedom, guaranteed by the constitution, is threatened. The practice of tolerance
becomes important in this regard. This study adopts the analytic method. Thus,
conceptual analysis of the words leadership, tolerance, peace and non-violence would
be carried out with a view to evaluate the problems concerned with leadership and
tolerance from a social political dimension. The study argues that tolerance and
leadership cannot be devoid if peace and non-violence must be attained and
maintained. The paper concludes that to keep the peace and non-violence leadership
must embrace tolerance; leaders, as well as followers, are to have the virtue of
tolerance to resolving crises and all forms of aggression.