International Youth Day: Dekawei Urges Youths To Prepare Themselves For Leadership, Presents Other Burning Issues

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By Binebai Princewill

A Nigerian based philanthropic Youth Leader, Amb. John Dekawei has urged youths all over the world to prepare themselves for leadership positions in their various domains. 

Amb. John Dekawei made the assertion in Abuja earlier today while celebrating the 2020 world youth day in a statement he personally signed and circulated to newsmen, a copy of which was sent to The Liberator Newspaper. 

While addressing other burning issues bedeviling the youths globally, Amb. John Dekawei noted that the youths must be focused and must not indulge in any activity that will jeopardize their reputations. 

He however encouraged youths to emulate successful youths in the world like  Mark Zuggerberg, founder of one of the leading social media platform in the World as at today, stressing that the change  the world is looking for remains in the hands of the youths of today. 

He particularly warn youths against being in haste to make it in life, stressing that the will of God, meticulous planning, hard work and submission to the Lord Almighty remains a sure way to sucess. 

In his words: “Nothing is more inspiring for the youth at the moment than this year’s theme of International Youth Day as far as their pivotal role in building a safe and secure world is concerned. 

“It is on August 12 that the UN, all national governments, public institutions, NGOs and people in general across the globe will be pledging together to strengthen the hands of young persons towards the realisation of the objective, ‘Youth Engagement for Global Action’ for attaining a sustainable humane society. 

“No one will say The population in the 15-24 age group, known as the ‘youth’ in the parlance of the UN, stands out as the most promising future-productive segment of world demographics. As Covid-19 monster is still jeopardising the world with infections, casualties, fears and anxieties, the lives of people have almost become suspended for want of concrete cure and reliable vaccine. 

“It is in the instant circumstances that the youth’s active participation and positive contribution have become the need of hour not only to promote universal peace and brotherhood amidst the current cross border tensions in the subcontinent and Cold War like strained relations between the capitalist America and the communist China but also to safeguard the planet from the accelerating climate change as well as the ongoing pandemic crisis. 

“Self-financing capital that could not take off As we are aware, the youth can prove their mettle unfailingly, if they are provided with opportunities to pursue their well-intended goals. Truly, the youth of 21st century i.e. Generation Z or millennials, have distinct values juxtaposed to that of earlier generations. 

“They have new definitions for every challenge in the society with much broader perspective in global context. Technology has changed their perception more than ever. Their vision, however, needs to be a rightly introspected agenda so that they would become meaningful and indispensable for the good of fellow human beings.

“But the real picture of the state of youth affairs is not as bright as it is generally imagined. For example, India is referred to as the most youthful nation because it tops the global list with the largest young population. A massive number means that it is a gigantic task to support them in their requirements such as education, employment, entrepreneurship etc. 

“Failure to meet their demands could lead to unsavoury socioeconomic and political repercussions. Unfortunately, a major chunk of youth population does not seem to be as commanding as they ought to be. This is due to more than one causative factors. A survey in 2016, jointly conducted by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and Lokniti about the Indian youth’s attitudes, anxieties and aspirations, pointed out that their thoughts and views are still traditional. 

“This is exactly opposite to what was said by the Nobel literature laureate Octavio Paz, who asserted that modernisation begins by being a critique of the past. Another survey in 2017, commissioned by an NGO called Pratham, underlines that a significant number of teenagers suffer from lack of minimum awareness in the present era of knowledge economy. Most of the youths were also found faring badly on social relations front. 

“Various studies showed that they are addicted to virtual world and are conditioned to communicate by text rather than on phone or face-to-face interaction. Steve Jobs equated creativity with social connectivity and as a result, the youth are not likely to exhibit creative talent to the extent it has to be. Therefore, the basic onus on the society is to groom the youth properly so as to reap the intended outcomes. 

“Nobel Prize winning physicist Leo Esaki reportedly indicated that the average age of Nobel laureates at which their critical inventions and discoveries were made is 32 years, though their awards were announced much later. He felt that the age of 20 to 30 is the span of peak creativity. 

“This revelation makes it highly significant to stimulate the young brains with a view to moulding them into prospective innovators and wealth creators. Otherwise, any mishandling or underestimation will lead to irreparable damage. One extreme case of such an example was that of Hitler’s tyrannical socialisation approach during WW-2, owing to which the German youth were inculcated with hate and prejudice in the guise of ‘Aryan Supremacy’. 

“The aftermath was an apocalyptic tragedy. Hence, the International Youth Day timely reminds the world of urgency and primacy to shape the young people righteously in social, economic and political life processes. History is a witness to the testimony that the youth can invariably make things happen if they are given space to excel. Early and altruistic investments in them will help result in high returns in terms of their constructive abilities and true potential. Vesting legitimate responsibilities will metamorphose them into leaders of not just tomorrow but of today. 

“It is in this context that the former UN Secretary General and Nobel peace prize winner Kofi Annan exhorted, “Young people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace”. 

“This is the most appropriate message on the occasion of International Youth Day, which the youth will have to imbibe as guiding principle in the pursuit of their dreams and ambitions. Man is a product of what he thinks about himself.”

This day is basically celebrated to raise awareness about the challenges and problems faced by the world’s youth in this age. According to UN, the International Youth Day gives an opportunity to celebrate and mainstream young peoples’ voices, actions and initiatives, as well as their meaningful, universal and equitable engagement. The day will be observed globally with podcast-style discussions that will be hosted by youth for the youth. 

The theme for this year’s International Youth Day is ‘Youth Engagement for Global Action’. The day seeks to raise awareness about the ways in which the engagement of youth at the local, national and international levels is enriching national and multilateral institutions and processes. The theme also focuses on how the representation and engagement of youth in formal institutional politics can be significantly enhanced.

This year’s International Youth Day aims to highlight youth engagement through the three interconnected streams.The day seeks to raise awareness about the ways in which the engagement of youth at the local, national and international levels is enriching national and multilateral institutions and processes.

The United Nations General Assembly in 1999 endorsed the recommendation of the World Conference of Ministers of Youth to designate August 12 as International Youth Day.

It would be recalled that Amb. John Dekawei is the founder and chairman of the John Dekawei Foundation (JDF), a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) he has used in transforming the lives of many across the World. 

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