Dawn of peace heralds prosperous future for the youth

By Nilma DOLE

It was a sunny day in Colombo but that didn’t stop schoolchildren, university graduates, young employees and the youth of the nation from getting about with their daily lives. It’s been three years since peace dawned in Sri Lanka and those benefiting most from this are the youth population. The population of Sri Lanka currently has a high percentage of youth and the unemployment rate has significantly decreased since the dawn of peace.

I took to the streets of Colombo to ask a handful of young people about what they thought of development for Sri Lankan youth especially after peace was established and where they believed it would take them.

The brain drain is obviously a huge issue, but the young people of our country are optimistic that things are getting better over time.

Speaking to the Sunday Observer was 27-year-old Udara - who said, “Unlike those days, we have peace of mind because we don’t have security concerns.

I’m happy that peace has come to Sri Lanka because walking freely in our country is the first step to the start of a new life instead of worrying all the time and fearing for our safety.” Udara works at a leading private company and said that he hopes to be stable and earn a lot so that he will be ready to get married soon.

It seems that young people are concerned about stability, earning more, starting their own business at a young age and then getting married. This doesn’t mean that they put off marriage completely, but the focus is on making money and living comfortably as opposed to settling down soon.

Open-minded generation

A young employee, Nari said that nowadays, Sri Lankan youth are more open-minded and speak their mind as opposed to their parents’ generation who never went against their own parents’ wishes.

“This generation won’t wait for things to happen, they actually go out there and do it. I believe that while younger people still need time to mature, they are questioning all sorts of things which were considered taboo as they live in a globalised world with access to unlimited information through media and the Internet.”

She said, “I feel that the young people are thirsty for knowledge, keen to share ideas and are more open in having connections with those outside their comfort zones and societal circles.”

In the globalised world we live in, young people want to see what’s on the other side, explore and learn about new things, people, cultures and places. Speaking to the Sunday Observer was Zuleikha, a professional who explained that since it was difficult to get into a local university due to the limited numbers or the Z-score requirement, she and her husband went abroad to study. “Earning in Sri Lanka isn’t the same as earning abroad so you tend to feel the difference, but that doesn’t stop us from coming to Sri Lanka.”

She said she is close to her family and coming back to Sri Lanka meant so much more than living abroad because eventhough you can earn a lot, the quality of life was not the same as you were used to in Sri Lanka. “You feel the different climate, extreme weather conditions and the fact that society places more emphasis on the individual than the family unit,” she said.

Another young person, Advanced Level student Lahiru said that he’s doing his A/L for the second time and even though it’s difficult to get into university, he has already started doing part-time jobs to help out his family.

“As young people, we have a duty to support our parents, but people abroad only work for themselves and go on to make more money without thinking about ethics and values. I’m glad I’m a Sri Lankan because we were brought up to respect, look after and help our elders,” he said.

Technical College student, 23 year-old Himali has plans of becoming a quantity surveyor because she wants to earn as soon as she graduates. “If I get a chance to go abroad, I will definitely take it. But this doesn’t mean that I won’t come back and serve my country.”

Foreign exposure

She explained that it’s good for the youth to get exposure abroad and learn new things so that they can come back and impart what they learned locals. “The Sri Lankan education system can’t afford to give free education to all its youth or bring all the latest technology to the doorstep of local students so it is up to those who can afford to go abroad to learn, come back and teach others,” she said. Studying at the University of Colombo are 23-year-old Udani and 24-year-old Yasas who said that even though there might be brain drain, Sri Lankan youth are close to their families and would never leave the country for too long.

“It’s up to the youth to understand their modern way of thinking and bridging the gap of learning values and traditions from their parents and grandparents. More often than not, youth think and act differently to what their parents want them to do and this is why there is a youth revolution where a majority of young people now think out-of-the-box and live their own lives.

”For example, love marriages are now replacing arranged marriages and age-old thinking is replaced by modern perceptions. Udani said, “I love my country and there’s no place like home. We are blessed to have a wealth of wildlife, beautiful places to explore and the most hospitable people.”

As a young person myself, I can safely say that there is great optimism and opportunities that are being tapped with regard to the youth of the nation. With young leaders also taking a stand to speak about their side of the story, no doubt it will be a prosperous future for young people in Sri Lanka after the dawn of peace following the defeat of terrorism.