National unity is the desire of all citizens to promote peace and stability over their individual interests. Over the years, a lot of countries have failed in this. There have been cases of families, friends, and the country at large being separated because of their different political affiliations. This is saddening, because politics will always come to an end, and the terms of the leaders you fight about will come to an end, but the community stays forever. There is no reason why politics should be the cause of broken trust among families and friends. Whatever your leader of choice promises you is of no importance if there is no peace since no project can start without order.
For a country to have national unity, several things must be done. Those who have participated in political races and lost need to accept and support the Government in power. Leaders need to realize that they hold a lot of control over the people, and the people often copy their actions. Failure to accept defeat if you are a leader will create tension between your supporters and supporters of the Government in power. Leaders need to ensure that they put public service before politics. If you have lost in an election, be ready to work with the winning parties to get your supporters what they want rather than derailing growth with fights that amount to nothing in most cases.
For national unity to prevail, people of all races, ethnicity, genders, ages and religious affiliations need to come together. They need to put development over their differences because most of them have the same aspirations. Everybody wishes for peace, security, and economic growth, but none of these things can come to be if there is no unity among different people. All citizens need to understand the constitution and develop a spirit of patriotism to not only their country but also to the ruling Government.
National unity is essential for several reasons. Firstly, it promotes hard work among the citizens of a country. It also gears them towards economic, social, and political development. National unity is also vital because it promotes fundamental human rights and promotes the rule of law. When there is national unity, there is transparency and accountability, and this is important for the development of any country. A united nation will be geared towards protecting the lives of all citizens, regardless of social differences. A united nation is a peaceful nation. This is essential in encouraging foreign investments. Rational investors will stay away from countries that are always at war but invest in those that maintain peace. This is because there is no assurance of returns in a country facing conflicts. In a peaceful country, however, citizens are geared towards economic development and are willing to help those that will contribute to their economic growth.
Leaders need to understand that citizens look up to them, and the citizens mirror every step they take. There is, therefore, need for all of them to set their political differences aside and campaign for national unity if they want a peaceful country.