Young people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace. If, however, they are left on society's margins, all of us will be impoverished. Let us ensure that all young people have every opportunity to participate fully in the lives of their societies.
Kofi AnnanUnited Nations Secretary-General
In this fast changing world, maintaining continuity among successive generations is becoming more and more difficult; and, in view of the far-reaching changes taking place in many walks of life, generation gaps are becoming wider. The youth are entitled as a matter of natural right to a profound care and concern to be educated and trained to meet the challenges of a rapid evolution of life; to be equipped with the knowledge and ability to go on developing, positively at a faster rate.
The youth are the hope of the mankind for the future. In their growth and development rests the standard of life of posterity on this Mother Earth. The importance of facilitating their growth and development in the right direction need not be overemphasized.
In formulating programs for the global youth development there are many ticklish factors to be taken notice of. Unlike schemes for material handling and improvement, the plans meant for the modern youth need to be designed taking their aims and ambitions into account.
The exposure available to the modern youth affects them in two ways. First, their knowledge has widened; their mental reach has become deeper. If a youngster of by-gone age aimed at the treetop, today he aims at the sky. This is good if the resources and opportunities could keep pace with the rising ambitions of the youth. Unfortunately they are not. Stiff competition in all walks of life exists. So, (secondly) their real life situations sometimes force them to accept, disappointing compromises.
It is an ideal situation when all the ambitions and aspirations could be converted into reality for all living beings. But there are gaps; and they are bound to be, if the man-made barriers among them should remain in-tact. Under the prevailing circumstances, a pragmatic approach is called for in giving orientation to the modern youth.
The planners of the modern youth development are thus faced with an unenviable situation when they should strive to fulfil all the reasonable aspirations of the youth and do justice to the opportunities and resources available in the various parts of the world, rigidly and territorially defined in terms of national boundaries.
While the fantastic developments in information technology and transport have worked towards converting the world into a global village, the spirit of citizen of the world has not even found entry in the minds of the various peoples of the world. Human mobility is found essential but unpleasant at times.
The reality is that the implementation of the various programs aimed at the global youth development differs in different countries, simply because there are different governments with their own policies and priorities.
It is therefore necessary that an independent agency like a magazine with an international outlook, which can easily transcend the boundaries of the countries, should work for enhancing the quality of the programs for the development of the modern youth.
Secondly, the human factor in the modern youth compels us to opt for a participative approach. The modern youth’s comprehension is more; they are willing to listen to us if there is no bluff; they are prepared to accept if it is explained to them logically; they are ready to work if that would lead to the realization of their aspirations; But the ideas, however they may appear good from the point of view of elders, could not be thrust upon them. Taking the modern youth for granted would only make the autocratically drawn plans mere exercises in futility.
The plans and programs that appear to us as ‘good for them’ could become successful, only if we succeed to satisfy and involve them. Otherwise, they would remain only in paper. The mechanical approaches of the bureaucratic wings of the governments could never reach the mental depths of individual youngsters. Only an international magazine could gain acceptance of them and successfully inculcate the principles of Self Development which are also harmonious towards the changing conditions of modern life.
The scope for service organizations in drawing and executing plans and programs for modern global youth is very great.
These two forceful considerations, i.e. the need for promoting the spirit of one world citizen among the youngsters and the need for inculcating the principles of Self Development not at variance with the universal harmony, have led the Benziger Foundation of India to take upon itself a big share of the responsibility of Global Youth Development.
Benziger Foundation is a registered public charitable trust engaged in execution of projects aimed at improving quality of life in this planet in the areas of research and development, dissemination of knowledge, training and development, and research and publishing. As a first major step in fulfilling our obligations to the modern youth of the world, Dynamic Youth a free online monthly magazine in English, has been brought out from October 2007.
K S Venkataraman, Associate Editor, Dynamic Youth
