August 12 is celebrated as International Youth Day to recognise the efforts of the world’s youth in enhancing the global society. It is a Day to focus on the rights of the young people to have full access to education, adequate healthcare, employment opportunities, financial services and full participation in public life. Over half of the world’s population is under the age of 30. The progress, dreams, and world-changing abilities are restricted for many young people. The International Youth Day is a moment to recognise and celebrate the promise and power of young people to change their communities, their counties, and the world. Today’s youth bring great leadership and resilience. Swami Vivekananda has rightly said while giving advice to the youth that “Supreme value of youth is incalculable and indescribable. Youth is the most precious part o human life. The way in which you utilise this period will decide the nature of the coming years that lie ahead of you. Your happiness, success, honour and good name all depends upon the way in which you like now, in the period.” The objective of this day is to spread his knowledge and literature to society, to build good characters and true citizens of the Nation.
There are currently 1.9 billion young people between the ages of 10 and 24 in the world. This is the largest youth population ever. But 1 in 10 of the world’s children lives in conflict zones and 24 million of them are out of school. They are a source of innovation, creativity, energy, and foresight, and member states must use all means possible to foster and harness the power of the youth. They are the most connected, the most outspoken and the most open-minded generation the world has ever seen. Today’s youth have the potential to shape the world both in the present and in the future. Empowerment through education has the power to change the life of young people and release them from the grip of poverty. No doubt, efforts are being made to provide youth with many opportunities to develop their skills, capabilities, personality and become good citizens of the country. Youths of today are much more sensitised than before and there is a growing demand for recognition of their rights. Youth empowerment is an attitudinal, structural, and cultural process whereby young people gain the ability, authority, and agency to make decisions and implement change in their own lives and in the lives of other people, including youth and adults. Access to education and training has to be amplified so that youth can develop their competencies. We need to create an international perspective in the youth and to involve them in promoting peace and understanding and the establishment of a just global economic order.
It is quite important to focus on the goals and ideas to cultivate a better future amongst different Countries. Today as we acknowledge and celebrate youth around the world, let us pledge to continue the momentum and together work to ensure that youth, especially the most vulnerable and marginalised, are equipped with the proper skills and tools needed to lead us towards a better world. Youths are the most precious and latent resource and it is necessary to organise them and channelise their energies towards desirable goals for national development. Everyone has a dream to arrive at a great height, and s/he wants to perform their activity in a better way. So it is important for the development of the country to develop the Youth of the Nation to make a strong and better Nation.
The youth is leading the change, and International Youth Day ensures that they have the ability, skill, motivation, and recognition to continue to do so. Leadership, discipline and citizenship cannot develop automatically nor are these qualities acquired once a character is formed. These qualities have been inculcated by proper training for the youths.
While the International Youth Day primarily focuses on celebrating young people and their efforts in conflict prevention, inclusion, social justice, and peace across the globe, it is reasonably important for the people to encourage each and every youth to participate in every activity to make them perfect for every activity to develop their and Countries future.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
