Many agree that this rich tapestry of localized youth action holds the promise of expanding the possibility for young people as equal and active stakeholders in the political process. However, such initiatives tend to be limited to the micro level and rarely transcend the neighborhood and city level. The idea of tackling this subject arose at the International Development Conference: Global Meeting of Generations held in Washington DC in January 1999. At this forum, young people from across the world grappled with the role young people should play in the governance process of their societies as well as international bodies such as the United Nations. In our today’s youth forum we bring you a very critical topic on the role of youth in nation building. The term - nation building - is usually used to refer to a constructive process of engaging all citizens in building social cohesion, economic prosperity and political stability in an inclusive and democratic way. It is important to note that the priceless resource of any country is its human resource. There is no other resource that matches the human being, because mankind is the foundation or the corner stone of any development and civilization. Out of the human intellect a nation is built. This can be confirmed by the fact that many countries are able to attain steady growth and development with limited natural resources through the intelligence of their people and the labour force. Young people are a crucial segment of a nation’s development. Their contribution therefore is highly needed. Young people are social actors of change and as the saying goes "youth are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but also the partners of today. ’’ As scholars have stated, "time is not evaluated by what has been harvested, but what has been planted". The government and society at large have equal responsibility to provide the youth with suitable grounds and thereby bringing about a matured and responsible population for the coming generation to lead a better life. As such the establishment of the a Department of State for Youth, the development of a comprehensive National Youth Policy, the establishment of National Youth Service Scheme, Meanwhile, it is good to have these structures in place but if the youths do not make the best use of them no beneficial result will be realized. As young people we must be ready and willing to take advantage of any opportunity that comes our way. It’s important to note that we can’t all work in offices, therefore some of us would have to train ourselves to be welders, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, craftsmen, farmers and so on. It’s wise to note that traveling to Europe does not serve as a solution for youths as others might take it for granted. Much more by illegal means, which has made this country, lost a lot of able-bodied men over the past few years.As the rain season is fast approaching, the youth should embrace and adhere to the call made by the Gambian leader for youths to go back to the land as agriculture is the backbone of the country’s economy. It is interesting to know that the issue of migration, both within and outside the country, has also had a negative impact on the country’s agricultural productivity. The rural urban migration and the seeking for pasture to the European countries through fatal means has had had a serious implication on the agricultural sector and the country’s economy. No foreign aid would develop this country for us; we must therefore work to develop our nation and ourselves by engaging in the production sector of our economy like agriculture. I must therefore stressed that if this country is to develop, then the youth must go back to the land.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Jul 2013 18:51:55 +0000
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