More talks on youth empowerment in our country than actions being taken

Dear Editor,

I wish to highlight the importance and urgency of the above subject matter to the readers and you with the hope that actions can be taken to resolve such growing social issues. Systematic changes in policies and legislations are necessary to bring transformation to a generation that is fueled by violence and rage. Combating social issues in our schools and homes are no easy tasks, and we can see them rapidly increasing in the past few years in our communities which stresses the urgency to resolve and meet these issues with immediate solutions. All members of society are critical players in influencing the development and changes that are required by our communities. Hence, the contribution by any player is valuable regardless of its size or greatness and who or where it is coming from, whether from the man selling on the street to the politicians in parliament.

It is time that people use their voices to echo positive messages instead of inciting the negative conversations that are widely communicated through mass media further lending to the deterioration of our society, women and children.

In our country, children are losing the respect for their elders and superiors because of what is vastly portrayed to them and the failure of adults to take responsibility and accountability for their actions. Change makers, leaders, community champions, advocates and activists often face a restrain with limitations in their resources and the impact and power that they have or in what they can do. As such, many of them, while willing to go the extra mile, can only do a limited work and operate at a shallow or base level. Thus, we cannot sit back and watch as our schools are being destroyed by poor behaviour of parents, teachers and students alike. We must develop a programme that can foster continuous aid and support to our schools and communities. The young people of this era need more attention and emotional guidance to better maneuver their way through various hardships and respond to situations that can be stressful. If we don’t feed the right programmes in our schools today and more importantly, now, then we will very well have to deal with a much more aggressive and violent generation in the coming and near future.

In areas where government cannot reach or have the capability to bring change, partnerships with grassroots organisations are fundamental to meet the people and youths who are mostly vulnerable and subtle to violence. Our youths today, have been earmarked by violence due to their upbringing in an environment where so many actions have become acceptable yet destructive. Therefore, the formation of policies must be done by sitting down with the community leaders and discuss challenges and weaknesses at the community level, and then proposing solutions that can make youths and women feel safer and protected.

Key discussions that center on the challenges that face the young people of our country must be held with the youths themselves to better meet them right where they are so that effective solutions can be implemented to help remedy their concerns. Nevertheless, it cannot be emphasized enough that there are more talks on youth empowerment in our country than actions being taken.

Sincerely,

Imran Bacchus