“ROLES OF NEPALI YOUTHS IN DESIGNING A BETTER NEPAL”

Youth are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but also the partners of today.

Today, 1.7 billion people i.e. more than one fourth of the world’s six billion people are between the ages of 10-24, making this group of  young people the largest ever to be entering adulthood. In Nepal, 60 percent of country’s population is assumed to be below 25 years of age. The populace of youths (16-40 years; as defined by National Youth Policy of Nepal, 2010) accounts for 38.8 percent of the total population and these cohorts represent a critical constituency for shaping of nation’s future. These youths are the pioneers of socio-cultural, political and economic reform. They are the crucial segments of nation’s development.

It is an undeniable fact that the current situation of Nepali youths is miserable, characterized by extreme discrepancies in terms of political, economic, educational, technological, social and cultural resources, which vary extremely across regions, localities and population groups. Current opportunities of Nepali youths for political participation are unsatisfactory, coupled with limited chances of involvement in developmental actions, entrepreneurships and limited space available for social participation. Moreover, the government’s readiness to materialize the potentiality of youth leadership in the reform of the country and ensure the active participation of the youths in each and every process of state functionality is at question.

Despite the contribution of youths to this country is not adequately recognized, they have continuously been struggling to make a difference as activists, as leaders in community transformation, as entrepreneurs in economic growth and by indefatigable degree of volunteerism.

                          

Youths are the backbone of Nepalese political system. The Nepali youths have rendered an outstanding contribution to every political change, founding of democracy and other social movements in Nepal. No doubts, the success behind every of these social movements and political change are attributable to youths’ participation. However, the participation of youths is to some level confined to street politics with intent to consolidate the vested interests of political elite. Therefore, the meaningful participation of the youths in political force is yet to be ensured. Nepal can certainly rely on this young generation for the overall upliftment of the country provided an opportunity is given to them to serve the nation.

The young generations around the country, still today are raising their massive voices, seeking their decisive roles in developmental actions, and are urging political leaders to act upon their concerns regarding democracy, peace and development, employment, human rights, justice and social and political inclusiveness. The Nepali youths are also struggling to help this country curtail corruption and endorse good governance. They have a high courage of fighting for a corruption free nation by refusing to pay bribes, leading anti-corruption media campaigns, organizing youth clubs on good governance, reporting fraudulent transactions of government officials and through similar approaches. But as the Nepalese bureaucracy and political system exhibit the culture of corruption breeding corruption, the challenge is to harness the enthusiasm of youths so as to prevent themselves being fallen up into this vicious cycle. Besides, since these youth movements are characterized by fragmentation, resulting in isolated actions that do not reach their full potential, young leaders are often undermined with limited resources and undervalued by government leaders and other decision-makers. As a result, youth’s voices are unheard, their political representation is on shade and they stay behind being unequipped to fully participate in the decision-making that shape this country’s future.

Without the determination to unite all these fragmented idealism and high ethical standards of the youths, their vision to steer the wheels of national development as a political leader is beyond imagination. Hence, emerging as an active decision maker requires youths to come up with mutual understanding, shared goals and common agendas among every individual youths, association and unions in each and every prospects of country’s future. Only through the coordinated actions of the youths, their political voices will get heard, political participation will be secured and their nationalistic decisions will be implemented in the mainstream of national development. With a strong commitment and determination as well as sincere political participation of the youths to achieve the common national goals and agendas, the concrete and sustained development of the nation is sure to be observed in the nearest future.

In addition to youths roles as a political leader/representative, many Nepali youths are organizing locally and expanding their horizons towards social reform. This means that youths are breaking through the mold of traditional political avenues and moving beyond political roles as their sole civic responsibility. Any idea of national development is just a myth without the active participation of youth in it. Nepali youths are seeking for the opportunity to be utilized as assets in nurturing their communities out of poverty by creating the foundations for holistic, integrated and sustainable growth and prosperity.  Previously, youth input in decision making, problem solving and action in communities received limited attention. However, recently youths are increasingly recognized as social actors in the development of their communities. It is the time for youths to utilize this opportunity for change and contribute to the country’s future.

The Nepali youths today are educated, well networked, and effective at identifying areas of need, efficient at raising funds and pooling resources and self-capable of developing and implementing community service projects. The constant community development services offered by numbers of youth clubs/ associations and organizations like Youth Red Cross Circles, Y-Peer, Rotaract/Interact clubs, Lions/Leo clubs and several others are self-evident to describe the roles of youths in country’s development. These networks of youths have been contributing to promote education, increase gender equality, raise health and social awareness, combat poverty, and protect environment. The youth have also been marching towards “Epidemic free Nepal”. An initiative of Paschim Paaila, a youth- led organization, provides a remarkable example.

In addition, youths have also been organized to combat a burden of HIV/AIDS.  It is youths who have been flourishing awareness against HIV/AIDS through approaches of peer education, trainings and advocacy. This power and enthusiasm of young people can be harnessed and maximized in a formal way to share knowledge and information about HIV and stimulate the needed positive behavior among young people. Such active participation of youths could also help nation reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Economic reform is another important avenue where the country’s youths have potentials to contribute for. It is evident that the problem of unemployment catalyzed by political instability and poor economic performance has contributed to the upsurge of brain drain in Nepal. While this brain drain has been plaguing Nepalese economy for almost two decades, some youths have set up good examples and signs of change by setting up new enterprises and fostering economic growth.

The slow but growing rates and the critical success of these sorts of youth entrepreneurship has become the attraction for many unemployed youths. Utilizing these entrepreneurial spirits of the youths can help the communities achieve economic growth and it can certainly open the opportunities of reversing brain drain as well as addressing youth unemployment to some extent. Thus, the youth entrepreneurships have revealed the rays of hope fostering youth to become champions of economic reform. This growing aspiration for entrepreneurship by youths is sure to perpetuate nation to economic development in the forthcoming years.

This country's future development is shouldered by the youth. In Nepal, the reform of political and social structures is necessary so that democratic system may truly engage and utilize the youths and their innovative ideas into developmental actions from today itself. Youths can truly take a lead if and only when the traditional social, economic and political systems determine to offer honest representation or successful solutions and meaningful opportunities for youth to become the champions of reform and contribute to their nation and future.

Yes! The role of this country’s youth is undeniably important- as a political leader/ representative, as a social activist, as an entrepreneur, as a leader of social transformation and overall as a citizen with sense of civic responsibility in themselves. Proper guidance, understanding, support and recognition as well as direction of government leaders and other decision makers can foster them in the forefront of national development.  For their enthusiasm, dynamism, ambition and creativity, youths are the best change makers. Youths are the drivers of development and change in Nepal.

(This essay participated for a competition marking "International Youth Day- 2012")