International Youth Day on Tuesday:

Building self-concept of youth

By Husna Inayathullah

“This world demands the qualities of youth: not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the life of ease.” - Robert Kennedy

Youth is the time of life when one is young. Youth is the stage of building the self-concept. The self-concept of youth is influenced by several variables such as peers, lifestyle, gender, and culture. It is the time of a person’s life in which they make choices which will affect their future.

This year International Youth Day 2014 will be celebrated under the theme ‘Youth and Mental Health’ and ‘Mental Health Matters’. On a global level, it is estimated that approximately 20 percent of adolescents and youth experience a mental health condition each year, with 85-90 percent of this group living in low-income countries.

The transition to adulthood is an extremely challenging period in which young people mature physically, personally, mentally and socially. It’s a critical time in which any issues can develop. For instance, we need greater knowledge about the reasons why mental health issues arise at this time, and we need to develop more effective services and interventions for young people and families.

Over the past decade, a new paradigm has emerged in the mental health field, which recognises the importance of intervening early to maximise recovery. The youth mental health paradigm aims to change the way society thinks about the mental health of young people, and to transform and strengthen the mental health system.

Issues

International Youth Day (IYD) is an awareness day designated by the United Nations. The purpose of the Day is to draw attention to a given set of cultural and legal issues surrounding youth. The first IYD was observed on August 12, 2000. It is an annual celebration of the role of young women and men as essential partners in change, as well as an opportunity to raise awareness of the challenges and hardships facing the world’s youth. The Day also gives an opportunity for governments and others to draw attention to youth issues worldwide. During IYD, concerts, workshops, cultural events, and meetings involving national and local government officials and youth organisations take place around the world.

The United Nations Information Center (UNIC) Colombo will observe the Day at a Mental Health Institution (Sahanaya Institute of Mental Health at Bolgoda, Panadura) with the participation of residents of the institute.

UNIC team will comprise UNIC staff members, counsellors, musicians and students from the School of Social Works for a program with inspirational speeches, music therapy, sports activities and a talent show. A group of dancers too will perform at the event. UNIC has received the blessings of the President of the National Council for Mental Health, Sri Lanka.

National Youth Services Council along with the Ministry of Youth and Skills development has also planned to celebrate the International Youth Day.

IYD forms part of the UN’s wider World Program of Action for Youth (WPAY), an initiative that aims to promote the wellbeing and livelihood of young people. Its 15 priority areas include education, employment, poverty and hunger, the environment, drug abuse, juvenile delinquency, leisure-time activities, health, girls and young women, HIV/AIDS, information and communications technology, inter-generational issues, armed conflict, the mixed impact of globalisation, and the full and effective participation of youth in society and in decision-making.

Global

The global conversation about mental health and its effects on development will take place this year. Awareness on the following will be globally discussed:-

* How we can reduce stigma relating to youth with mental health conditions through education and awareness-raising.

* How to reach young people in their family, school, and work place, to help them cope with their mental health conditions

* What lessons we have learnt from existing programs and how we take those lessons to improve services and programs at different levels of economic development.

Youth with mental health conditions can often experience stigma and discrimination, which in turn can lead to exclusion and discourage people from seeking help for fear of being negatively ‘labelled’. Efforts are needed to overcome this stigma to ensure that young people with mental health conditions can lead full and healthy lives free of isolation and unnecessary shame, and that they openly seek the services and support they need.

UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), through the Focal Point on Youth, and the Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development, promotes a multi-dimensional approach to addressing the challenges faced by young people with mental health issues, including tackling stigma and promoting social inclusion to enable all young people to achieve their aspirations and goals.

Encourage

Thematic discussions and information campaigns will take place across the world, to encourage both Member States and the general public to understand the needs of young people, to implement policies to help them overcome the challenges they face, and to help young people into the decision-making process.

The World Conference on Youth (WCY), held from May 6-10, 2014 in Sri Lanka, brought together over 1,000 young people from 120 countries, as well as 53 governmental delegations. The conference also had participants and observers from various UN agencies and organisations dealing with youth and concluded with the adoption of the Colombo Declaration on Youth.

The Colombo Declaration on Youth serves as a platform for youth on various avenues and solutions.