International Youth Day

At the call of the United Nations, since the year 1999 i.e. 2056 B.S. International Youth Day is celebrated around the world on August 12, but in Nepal, International Youth Day is being observed and celebrated since 2004 A.D only. It is customary to celebrate International Youth Day on August 12 every year with various youth related slogans, and related programs. There is no doubt that the youth are an integral part of the country and they are the backbone of the country too. If a country can use the youth power, if the wasted youth power is fully mobilized for any kind of development sector, the development sector and its work will be performed in full acceleration. International Youth day is celebrated every year with various slogans in Nepal and at an International level worldwide with special participation of the youth.

Introduction to Youth

By a study conducted to understand who are youths, it has been found that those Young group of people or Youth who have reached the age of puberty but have not yet reached the age of Adulthood are considered as Youth. As mentioned above, youth is the age group that is the future leader of a nation and a partner of development of the present time and carries with them the power and strength of development and change. Although people of all ages and backgrounds can participate in nation building, it is also common for aged people not to be deprived of development work due to their age. Because not all young people are youth and not all old ones are old, their art of thinking and working could be old, but they remain young. For this reason, it can be said that young and old alike can participate equally in the development work. However, the role of the youth is seen as important, meaningful and active in nation building ventures.

The Role of the Youth Power and their need in the Country

In Nepal, at different times, and through various processes of political movements and manifestations, etc to bring about a major Political change in the country the youth participation was of a great number in each and every one of them. They participated in a great number making each manifestation consisting of a wave of youth force as if an attack of swarm of bees, playing a massive role, with lots of enthusiasm too, which shows Youths’ need in the country for other kinds of development endeavours too. These facts clearly show the two facts: importance of youth and the need of youth power as a crucial factor in the development work. There is a need for the state, and its related local bodies to create opportunities for the development of the youth as entrepreneurs and responsible citizens by providing various creative, skill-based, training, etc., targeting the entire youth, which definitely will stop the valuable young manpower from going abroad. In the current state system, even youth can be included in the various processes of running the state, thus the youth can participate in the overall development of the country. The need to include youth in different places from parliament to local bodies and benefiting from their energy and talents of the youth, is seen very clearly, but, if the nation is not able to integrate the youth in the system one day surely the state itself may get entangled in various problems and may face various unnecessary instability.

Need of Youth in Development and Statistics

According to the Nepal Statistic, the census conducted in Nepal in the year 2068 BS, the number of youth falling under the age group of 16 to 40 years is 40.35 percent and the youth falling under the age group of 16 to 35 years is 34.36 percent. Similarly, 27.8 percent of the population are aged 15 to 29 years and 34.8 percent of the population are under 15 years of age. The state of all countries should understand that young manpower is the vehicle for economic, social and political transformation of all countries of the world. Therefore, every country and even Nepal should be able to mobilize the youth force in the development and other works of the country by uniting the conveyors (the youth) for economic, social and political transformation keeping in view the changes that can be brought.

The logical thinking about youth rights seems to have started with the global economic downturn (crisis) of the 1930s (1986 B.S.). To save the world from the economic recession of 1930 A.D, it was realized at that time, to use youths who are full of enthusiasm, vigor and talent, which can save the world from economic recession and it was acutely realized. Similarly, after the end of World War II, in the year 1945 A.D, and with the establishment of the United Nations in 2001 A.D with the development of international human rights law, there has been a history of thinking and debating about youth rights within the United Nations also.

In Nepal “Youth Vision 2025” was formulated to implement the “National Youth Policy 2066” in Nepal which is a Ten-Year Strategic Plan Approved by Nepal Government (Council of Ministers) on 6th of Asoj 2072 i.e. October 6, 2015. Similarly, the passing of the National Youth Council Formation Bill by the Parliament is certainly a pleasant and encouraging thing for the youth. But, ironically, the participation of youth in matters such as state policy-making and decision-making is still very uncertain. In the last few years, during varios of the natural calamities that Nepal has faced at different times, Nepali youths have spontaneously participated in the rescue, relief distribution and reconstruction at different places without joining any political or any kind of personal recognition. With these actions of the youth, they have proved that Nepali youth are Truly and Genuinely Pure hearted Nepali.

For the past few years, Nepali youth have been actively participating in the social, economic, political and educational spheres of the country as well. Apart from that, the presence of youths in various sectors such as agriculture and the productive sector, labor is also being seen, which is good news for the country and the state. The Constitution of Nepal 2072 B.S, made after the attainment of democracy, in its Article 35 (20) under the directive principle and policy of the state, has made provision for the state to adopt special policy to mobilize the young manpower in the development of the country. By implementing this policy, which already is in the constitution the state should pay attention to every aspect of the work performed by the youth and it is the great responsibility of the state to encourage them by giving them the necessary help, subsidy, discounts on service facilities, etc. for their productive work inside their own country and stopping youth from selling their sweat at other country. But, as the state is incapable in the implementation of its policies, rules, laws and programs etc which concerns youth, and as their rights are not properly addressed the youth are leaving the country in a number of thousands per day in search of better opportunities. To create different opportunities in the employment market of the state in the country itself for the skilled and deserving youth which, should be made available for the youth can be harmonized with the demand for manpower and education, then the youth would not be left unemployed as well as the flow of skilled youths (brain drain) to foreign lands can be stopped to some extent. By encouraging the youth through implementation of state policies, laws and programs as subsidy, technical or non technical help etc for them, the youth can certainly be prevented from going abroad.

In the End

During the period when one is “Youth”, i.e. having a young mind is a time to contribute largely to the society and country as well through one’s passion, vigor, creation and creative work. However, in the context of Nepal, complaints have been raised time and again that the state has not yet been able to form a youth-friendly system and use them for the development of the country. Here in Nepal, from the country’s perspective, the need to involve the youth in the economic, social, political and cultural life, and to bring the youth into the mainstream of National Development through leadership development, is a matter of urgency. International Youth Day is celebrated with an aim of making governments and stakeholders around the world aware of existing youth issues. However, as the International Youth Day is being celebrated with different awareness programs etc, there are still lots of problems to be addressed among the youth such as unemployment, semi-skilled manpower, lack of quality education etc. due to which it will certainly take some more time to see the desired results. As long as all the citizens of the state do not have easy access to education, i.e. fundamental rights to the people of any county, problems like semi-skilled manpower, non existence of quality education, there is no righteous meaning to celebrate International Youth Day. Unless and until the country and the state does not relate to youth, the state and related bodies are not capable of making the full use of the youth’s enthusiasm, vigor and talent, until then, there is no significance nor justification of any celebration for any program like the one held today 12th of August on the occasion of International Youth Day.