Today is International Youth Day:

The ideal partners in development

By Pramod DE SILVA

We all experience the vibrancy and dynamism of youth. Apart from childhood perhaps, youth is the best time of our lives. Youth is the period of life when we learn to face the future with confidence, as citizens of a rapidly developing world. Youth is the lifeblood of any country. Without their contribution to the society and the economy, a country cannot sustain itself.

In today’s world, the youth face a myriad of challenges, from unemployment to lack of educational opportunities. Governments and societies should address these challenges to create a better future for youth.

This is why we must recognise their role in society. Today is their day. The International Youth Day is celebrated all over the world including in Sri Lanka where the majority of population comprises youth.

Although there are various definitions for youth, the United Nations defines youth as those people between 15 and 24 years of age. In fact, they make up one-sixth of the world’s population of seven billion. Over 60 percent of the world’s youth live in Asia and the Pacific, which translates into more than 750 million young women and men aged 15 to 24 years. They represent a key asset for the countries in our dynamic region.

Better society, world

Every year, it is celebrated on a different theme and this year’s theme is ‘Building a Better World: Partnering with Youth’. The basic idea is that youth play an essential role in creating a better society, a better world.

The UN Secretary-General’s Five-year Action Agenda and the development of a UN System Wide Action Plan on Youth takes this theme into account.

The Agenda focuses on Employment; Entrepreneurship; Education including on sexual and reproductive health; Political inclusion; Citizenship; and Protection of rights. Governments must take concrete action on these vital issues even amidst the complex global challenges they face.

Young people all over the world are growing up in a world of uncertainty. There are many conflicts that claim the lives of thousands of youth every year. Sri Lanka too experienced this loss for nearly 30 years. Now that terrorism is over, Sri Lankan youth can look forward to a new era. The former Tiger combatants too have been rehabilitated and re-integrated in to society. They too are expected to make a substantial contribution to the economy.

Volatility in the global economy and financial markets has affected youth adversely, as it has led to high levels of unemployment and retrenchment. Almost 50 million young people are looking for jobs across the Asia-Pacific region. Lacking economic and social opportunities, many are forced into high-risk and vulnerable forms of employment.

As a recent UN report noted, for young people, jobs provide not only a source of income, but also dignity and self-respect. In the absence of decent work, young people subsist on the margins of the economy and are particularly vulnerable to social exclusion.

Weathered the storm

Sri Lankan youth and the island’s economy have weathered this storm, but we have to be alive to new global developments in this regard. The mismatch between the education system and job market needs should also be addressed to strengthen employment opportunities for youth. More youth should have access to vocational and other training opportunities. Countries must invest more in education and training to prepare youth for the world of work.

In many countries (though not in Sri Lanka), young girls and women are discriminated against in terms of education and work opportunities. Statistics show that young women are particularly under-represented in the labour market. They remain an untapped resource for future economic growth and development. In South Asia, a mere 30 percent of young women participate in the labour force, while the percentage is more than double for young men.

There are also many threats to the health and well-being of youth. Drug addiction and other social vices have affected a segment of our youth, who have ruined their future through these practices.

As UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon asserts in his Youth Day message, today’s generation of youth - the largest the world has ever known, and the vast majority of whom live in developing countries - has unprecedented potential to advance the well-being of the entire human family. “But without urgent [corrective] measures, we risk creating a “lost generation” of squandered talent and dreams”.

He adds: “Youth are a transformative force; they are creative, resourceful and enthusiastic agents of change, be it in public squares or cyberspace. From their pivotal role in efforts to achieve freedom, democracy and equality, to their global mobilisation in support of the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development, youth have energetically demonstrated yet again their capacity and desire to turn the tide of history and tackle global challenges.”

Equal, effective partners

Elaborating on this year’s theme, he says that young men and women are not passive beneficiaries, but equal and effective partners. “Their aspirations extend far beyond jobs; youth also want a seat at the table - a real voice in shaping the policies that shape their lives. We need to listen to and engage with young people. We need to establish more and stronger mechanisms for youth participation. The time has come to integrate youth voices more meaningfully into decision-making processes at all levels”.

The clear message is that future and social economic growth is dependent on young people, who will be the leaders of tomorrow.

They should not be seen merely as job recipients, but as partners in development and nation-building. To this end, we must ensure that their voice is heard and their role recognised.

The Youth Parliament is a good example of a forum that can make this happen. Such mechanisms that support young people’s leadership and participation in national decision-making must be supported and encouraged.

The world must harness the dynamic energy and creative force of youth. Here in Sri Lanka, which is successfully treading on the path of lasting peace and reconciliation, we must reach out to youth across the country, regardless of community, religion, gender, economic status, disability and educational levels to support their social uplift and participation in economic, social and political activity. It is the key to a brighter future for all.