Changing times call for changing minds

Future challenges for youth of the region

By Nizla Naizer
The need to develop the youth of the nation with proper policies designed to integrate them to the development of the country and not exclude them from processes that take the nation forward was the concluding sentiment at the Regional Conference on Youth which was held in Colombo last week.

Delegates from Sri Lanka, Nepal and The Maldives came together at the Taj Samudra to share experiences and discuss the future of the youth in their respective countries. While The Maldives and Nepal already have National Youth Policies, Sri Lanka is still in the review process of a draft Youth Policy created in 2003. While all three countries have specific programmes aimed at developing the youth, each country had specific issues undermining youth development. Nepal signified their lack of trained teachers leading to unguided youth in rural areas, while The Maldives was burdened by social and cultural prejudices that prevent youth from reaching their potential. Sri Lanka, on the aftermath of a long and violent conflict has to deal with unemployed youth who are keener to work in the public sector than the private sector.

The Regional Conference on Youth as Partners for Sustainable Development and Socio-Political Stability was organised by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Youth Business Sri Lanka, Ministry of Youth Affairs, Social Policy Analysis and Research Centre at the University of Colombo and International Alert. The South Asian countries were represented by the Secretaries to their respective Ministry of Youth Affairs, academics and policy makers. The delegates heard a host of experiences ranging from challenges and opportunities in the youth sector to promoting youth entrepreneurship. International Alert launched their publication on ‘Rethinking the nexus between youth, unemployment and conflict; Perspectives from Sri Lanka’ and launched a tabloid aimed at the Youth called ‘Dakma’ (Vision).

National Youth Policy vital for the future of youth – S. Wirithamulla
In order to guide the youth of our country and empower them to become an important part of society, a National Youth Policy is vital, Youth Affairs Ministry Secretary S. Wirithamulla stated at the Regional Youth Conference last week. “Unfortunately, we are still reviewing the Draft of the National Youth Policy formulated in 2003.”

The National Youth Policy which has been a work in progress since the 1980s was finally drafted after a high powered committee led by Prof. Jayathileke was given the initiative in 2004. The draft was submitted to the Ministry in 2005 and subsequently kept open to public comment. Wirithamulla explained that after many comments were made comparing the Policy to the Youth Policy of South Africa, it was decided to be subject to further review. “We received many nasty comments from the public,” he informed, “including a serious allegation that it was a copy of the South African Policy. It was also seen to be too bulky with too many implications, and few elements actually addressing the problems of the youth. It is now being reviewed and we hope to issue a relevant policy soon.”

From docile to hostile
Prior to 1971, the youth of Sri Lanka were quiet, calm and non-violent, he added, but the 1971 and 1987 uprisings saw the youth of the country take to arms for the first time in recent history and changed the dynamics of the population. “The vision of our Ministry is to create ‘A dignified Youth community for the 21st century’. Unfortunately, you cannot see immediate tangible results when you work with youth. You have to wait 405 years for the actual results of our programmes to be witnessed.”

He explained that the national priorities concerning youth included creating the National Youth Policy, youth empowerment, addressing youth issues such as unemployment, peace building, enhance youth involvement in the future economic development of the country and concentrating their attention on the development of the youth in the North and the East. “Many of our youth feel that they are not being used in the peace process which is an important message they are putting across. They want to make a difference and a contribution. Also there is a pressing need to help the youth of the North and East now that peace is here. We must remember that they are not aliens but our brothers and sisters.”

From youth clubs toyouth yorps
Explaining that the Ministry has various programmes and initiatives designed to keep the youth involved and contribute to their development, Wirithamulla informed that there are over 8,000 youth clubs across the island. “We also launched a novel concept called ‘Rata Dinavana Vishistayo’ in June 2008 where each year 10,000 students will be taken in batches of 2,500 every quarter from all parts of the island and trained in military discipline, engage in social service, provided extensive English and IT training and deployed to work in organisations in the private sector and subsequently absorbed into the system.”

Also, the Youth Corps programme where 38 Youth Corps centres 10000 school drop outs are assisted to turn their lives around. “The centres are manned by ex-military personnel who help identify seed entrepreneurs and provide them a course for the future.” The Ministry has also undertaken to establish new academies for technical and vocational training, media, youth politicians, sports activities and cultural activities.

However, most of these programmes are aimed at developing the rural youth and Wirithamulla claims that they see 80% employment rates for those who participate in these programmes. “The challenges we face are that organization of youth is very difficult, financial constraints and limited resources also restrict are activities.”

Empower regional youth – Azmi Thassim
“The majority of Sri Lankan youth live in rural areas so it’s important to empower the rural youth, Hambantota Youth Business Programme,” CEO Azmi Thassim said. “Currently the rural youth face poverty, lack of education, high unemployment and exploitation. Education levels in Sri Lanka may have improved but the disparity is still wide. The rural situation has declined. We must change this situation.”

Calling the lack of job opportunities in regions other than Colombo a pressing challenge, Thassim explained that to most rural youth, entering Colombo is like entering another country. “We still do not see professional studies too widespread in these regions. My accountant travels to Colombo from Hambantota, a five hour journey every weekend to follow his Chartered Accountancy classes. These are some examples of the difficulties the regional youth face.” Lack of funding, lack of amenities and leisure were other issues”, he stated adding that “educating the girl child was also important for the development of society.”

“Youth are very vulnerable when they feel that they do not have a future, they are easily swayed towards causes that promise them a future which is why we saw the uprisings in 1971 and 1987 very prominently youth oriented. We must provide them opportunities to implement their skills, especially in the rural areas.”

Investment in skills training, technology, Micro-finance programmes and capacity building were some of the solutions prompted by Thassim who stated emphatically that looking after the rural youth is good for business in general. “We have urged other District Chambers all across the island to learn from the Hambantota Chamber of Commerce experience where we have empowered rural youth by providing them seed capital and guiding them as mentors as they conduct their business activities.”

Ten Point initiative for Youth Entrepreneurship – Charitha Ratwatte
As way back as 1971, Prof. Dudley Seers from the Institute of Development Studies in Sussex had noted that Sri Lanka has a mismatch between the products of the school system and the demands of the employment market, Sri Lanka Business Development Centre Chairman Charitha Ratwatte informed, but 38 years later we’re still attempting to bridge that gap.

Stating that the ‘white collar bias’ which still exists today is dangerous for the development of the country, he called on the educators of the nation to understand the meaning of pedagogy and child psychology. “Just because you are learned, does not mean you can teach,” he informed, “And we need to move towards more innovative and creative skill based teaching to face the challenges faced by the youth today. It’s not all about being a lawyer, doctor or engineer anymore.”

He proposed a ten point initiative to develop and change the youth entrepreneurship dynamics within the country.

• First – “Deal with the lack of spontaneity,” he urged. “We are made to think and act like the obedient clerks the British Empire wanted out of the education system.” He called for more novel methods of teaching such as ‘Outward Bound’ learning where adventure becomes a way of learning. “Also sports and the performing arts must be encouraged because they make you think out of the box.”
  
• Second – Have access to finance. “Finance is readily available, but to a youth, ‘accessing’ it becomes an issue because he has no credibility or credit history,” he explained. “So systems like National Youth Services Savings and Credit Co-operative is a good start to obtain the credit history required to approach the larger banks.”
  
• Third – Maintain and widen access to programmes such as Young Entrepreneurs Sri Lanka (YESL) which encourage entrepreneurial skills while still in school.
  
• Fourth – Change the parental bias towards jobs and the ‘dignity of labour’.
  
• Fifth - Encourage the formal business sector to take on the matter of unemployed youth.
  
• Sixth – Take concrete steps to address gender discrimination and create a level playing field.
  
• Seventh – Give the youth a stake in society. “When you are young you are more capable of taking risks. Take advantage of that. Establish a Universal National Service where for a year or two youth are made to serve compulsorily in hospitals, schools or other institutions across the island. Send the urban youth to the rural areas and bring the rural youth to the urban areas. Let them learn and serve.”
  
• Eighth – Reduce the burden placed on small and medium businesses by governments. “Simplify taxation rules, codes, procedures, labour and environmental controls. Half the time, our young entrepreneurs just can’t take the hassle of expanding their businesses.”
  
• Ninth – Ensure the skills provided to the youth are relevant and cutting edge and not the skills of dinosaurs.
  
• Tenth – Appreciate the difference of each youth and give them the space and support to grow and blossom. “A management trainer once said, ‘Give me a delinquent and I’ll create an entrepreneur’, so help them grow while understanding that each one is different.”
  

Youth must be protected from conflict – K. Guruparan
The disillusionment of the youth in the North on the promises made by the moderate Tamil leadership led to the insurgency in the North while the disillusionment of the youth in the South on the promises made by the Old Left led to the insurgency in the 1970s, Sri Lanka Youth Parliament Member and Youth Activist K. Guruparan stated.

“No one can say that the current militia in both regions have a ‘youthful’ element, but it is undeniable that their origins were born out of youth unrest,” he said adding that in the North and the East, the ‘normalisation’ of war where the abnormal (eg; the killing of five in a village) is a normal day to day process, is very worrying. “We must work towards getting them out of this mentality. We must give the youth in the North and the East to come out and speak. To silence them is to suppress them and weaken them.”

Speaking of the state of the youth in the North and the East, Guruparan explained that the unemployment rates in the North and the East are 13% and 15.9% respectively, much higher than the national average. “While the national average of those who prefer work in the public sector is 53.4%, in the North and East it’s as much as 75%.”

He also pointed out that in the South now, most of the income coming into the region to the rural poor came from army recruitment and compensation. “We need a National Youth Policy, but we understand that the current draft does not refer to the ‘conflict’ in the country at all,” he informed, “And as a representative of the youth, we want the Policy to be more than just a piece of paper. We request a legislation to be enacted that holds individuals accountable to implement the Policy for the betterment of the youth.”

He stated that the recent Presidential Commission on Youth called for one third of the nominations in the Provincial Council to be represented by the Youth, but that the youth are then allocated to seats that the party does not win. “The most pressing need now is to have the ethnic conflict resolved and have civil society actively work towards the future of this country.”

Integrate women into youth policy development – Ramani Jayasundere
It is important to integrate women into policy development and critical to develop a gender perspective, Women’s Rights Consultant, Ramani Jayasundera said. Speaking on the importance of gender sensitivity in the formulation of a youth policy she said that the distinction is not clearly made in most instances.

“The main objective of the gender sensitivity clause in the Youth Policy is to make sure that young men and women are provided with equal opportunity and that gender equality is maintained, but the policy fails to reassure the youth why gender sensitivity is required.”

Explaining that the roles and identities of men and women are drawn up at childhood and leads to gender specific socio-cultural ideology and practices that shape the lives of these men and women, she added that in the view of these factors we must deal with issues relating to young men and women separately.

“Where does society place men and women? Men largely occupy the public sphere while women occupy the private sphere. This must be adequately captured in the Youth Policy. And even though the policy underwent a lot of groundwork to see that gender sensitivity is considered, it is not reflected in the actual document.”