Youth Issues and Adult Society Essay

The youth comprise a significant proportion of every society. Youth can be defined as a group of young people who are in the transitional stage from childhood to adulthood and are considered to be the most energetic. It is a stage during which the young people try to define their identity and prepare them for citizenship and adulthood (Shamsie, 2006). However, it has not been easy to fix the definition of youth in chronological terms. In most countries, the age of the youth is drawn at the time when an individual is treated equally under the law, normally referred to as the age of majority. Many countries place it at age 18 and beyond this age, one is considered an adult. It is therefore important to note that the definition of the term youth depends greatly on the socio-cultural, political, institutional, and economic factors of a given country. The working chronological age for the purposes of this essay is between the ages 15 and 29, which is used mainly by most National Youth Councils. This essay will discuss some problems facing the youth and why this crisis appears to be a major concern for adult society.

There are a number of problems encountered by the youth of today all over the world. Unemployment is one of the major problems facing today’s young generation (Shamsie, 2006). Every young person must be prepared to overcome the challenges of adolescence and adulthood. This means that he or she must engage in progressive experiences and activities which will, in turn, enable him or her to become socially, emotionally, morally, economically, physically, as well as cognitively competent. As one approaches the mid-20s, he or she starts experiencing the transition from schooling to work. Many young people at this age would be expected to secure a job and earn instead of the continued reliance on the parents or guardians. This trend in most instances is hampered by the lack of job opportunities for a large number of young people in society.

Difficulty in securing a place of work implies that the youth can hardly get a stable source of income for personal use and even for the other dependents like the parents or siblings. This is despite the fact that a lot of resources are injected towards educating them. The fact that many young people lack a stable source of income and yet they are the most energetic members of society is ridiculous. A number of youth resort to other alternative ways of survival like theft, forceful robbery, carjacking, and other illegal deals that will enable them to get the money that they desperately need. This is one concern that threatens the fabric of society especially the adult members of the society. The problem is worsened by the fact that there are many young people who are faced with the same problem and hence adding to the magnitude of illegal incidences. In most countries, therefore, the problem of unemployment among the youth has become a major concern of the adult society especially the governments (White, 1999).

Furthermore, unemployment can become the genesis of all other sorts of problems that face the youth. Young people who fail to prosper in society may end up despairing in life and may start smoking, using alcohol, and the use of other drugs. This is common among the youth who leave schooling at an early age and hence can get no meaningful employment. The use of drugs among the youth results in a less productive generation of young people who should otherwise be the building stones for a more stable society. Any adult society, therefore, ought to be concerned about this major problem that faces the youth since they are expected to be the society’s tomorrow.

For the female youth, difficult times at this particular stage may force them to engage in promiscuous activities like sex for pay, and these results in unwanted pregnancies and the contraction of sexually transmitted diseases. The general loss of morality among the young people can plunge the whole generation into enormous problems like increased psychological distress and other mental problems, HIV/AIDS prevalence among the youth, and criminal activities that may ruin a whole generation (White, 1999). These youth problems in many countries appear to be of major concern for adult society.

It is therefore paramount for every society to rise up and address the plight of the young people if it is to prosper to greater heights. This will call for the creation of job opportunities in society and empowering the youth through training on entrepreneurial skills. This will go a long way in ensuring that the society gets proper continuity through its youth.

Shamsie, S. J. (2006). Youth: Problems and solutions. Lea & Febiger.

White, R. (1999). The Australian youth subcultures: in the Mainstream and on the margins. Australian Clearinghouse for Youth Studies.

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Young people hold the key to creating a better future

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Stay up to date:, youth perspectives.

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  • Young people are the most affected by the crises facing our world.
  • They are also the ones with the most innovative ideas and energy to build a better society for tomorrow.
  • Read the report "Davos Labs: Youth Recovery Plan" here .

Have you read?

Youth recovery plan.

Young people today are coming to age in a world beset by crises. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic devastated lives and livelihoods around the world, the socio-economic systems of the past had put the liveability of the planet at risk and eroded the pathway to healthy, happy, fulfilled lives for too many.

The same prosperity that enabled global progress and democracy after the Second World War is now creating the inequality, social discord and climate change we see today — along with a widening generational wealth gap and youth debt burden, too. For Millennials, the 2008 financial crisis and the Great Recession resulted in significant unemployment, huge student debt and a lack of meaningful jobs. Now, for Generation Z, COVID-19 has caused school shutdowns, worsening unemployment, and mass protests.

Young people are right to be deeply concerned and angry, seeing these challenges as a betrayal of their future.

But we can’t let these converging crises stifle us. We must remain optimistic – and we must act.

The next generation are the most important and most affected stakeholders when talking about our global future – and we owe them more than this. The year 2021 is the time to start thinking and acting long-term to make intergenerational parity the norm and to design a society, economy and international community that cares for all people.

Young people are also the best placed to lead this transformation. In the past 10 years of working with the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community, a network of people between the ages of 20 and 30 working to address problems in more than 450 cities around the world, I’ve seen first-hand that they are the ones with the most innovative ideas and energy to build a better society for tomorrow.

Over the past year, Global Shapers organized dialogues on the most pressing issues facing society, government and business in 146 cities, reaching an audience of more than 2 million. The result of this global, multistakeholder effort, “ Davos Labs: Youth Recovery Plan ,” presents both a stark reminder of our urgent need to act and compelling insights for creating a more resilient, sustainable, inclusive world.

Davos Lab: Youth Recovery Plan

One of the unifying themes of the discussions was the lack of trust young people have for existing political, economic and social systems. They are fed up with ongoing concerns of corruption and stale political leadership, as well as the constant threat to physical safety caused by surveillance and militarized policing against activists and people of colour. In fact, more young people hold faith in governance by system of artificial intelligence than by a fellow human being.

Facing a fragile labour market and almost bankrupt social security system, almost half of those surveyed said they felt they had inadequate skills for the current and future workforce, and almost a quarter said they would risk falling into debt if faced with an unexpected medical expense. The fact that half of the global population remains without internet access presents additional hurdles. Waves of lockdowns and the stresses of finding work or returning to workplaces have exacerbated the existential and often silent mental health crisis.

So, what would Millennials and Generation Z do differently?

Most immediately, they are calling for the international community to safeguard vaccine equity to respond to COVID-19 and prevent future health crises.

Young people are rallying behind a global wealth tax to help finance more resilient safety nets and to manage the alarming surge in wealth inequality. They are calling to direct greater investments to programmes that help young progressive voices join government and become policymakers.

I am inspired by the countless examples of young people pursuing collective action by bringing together diverse voices to care for their communities.

To limit global warming, young people are demanding a halt to coal, oil and gas exploration, development, and financing, as well as asking firms to replace any corporate board directors who are unwilling to transition to cleaner energy sources.

They are championing an open internet and a $2 trillion digital access plan to bring the world online and prevent internet shutdowns, and they are presenting new ways to minimize the spread of misinformation and combat dangerous extremist views. At the same time, they’re speaking up about mental health and calling for investment to prevent and tackle the stigma associated with it.

The Global Shapers Community is a network of young people under the age of 30 who are working together to drive dialogue, action and change to address local, regional and global challenges.

The community spans more than 8,000 young people in 165 countries and territories.

Teams of Shapers form hubs in cities where they self-organize to create projects that address the needs of their community. The focus of the projects are wide-ranging, from responding to disasters and combating poverty, to fighting climate change and building inclusive communities.

Examples of projects include Water for Life, a effort by the Cartagena Hub that provides families with water filters that remove biological toxins from the water supply and combat preventable diseases in the region, and Creativity Lab from the Yerevan Hub, which features activities for children ages 7 to 9 to boost creative thinking.

Each Shaper also commits personally and professionally to take action to preserve our planet.

Join or support a hub near you .

Transparency, accountability, trust and a focus on stakeholder capitalism will be key to meeting this generation’s ambitions and expectations. We must also entrust in them the power to take the lead to create meaningful change.

I am inspired by the countless examples of young people pursuing collective action by bringing together diverse voices to care for their communities. From providing humanitarian assistance to refugees to helping those most affected by the pandemic to driving local climate action, their examples provide the blueprints we need to build the more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable society and economy we need in the post-COVID-19 world.

We are living together in a global village, and it’s only by interactive dialogue, understanding each another and having respect for one another that we can create the necessary climate for a peaceful and sustainable world.

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The Role Of Youth In Social Change And Social Innovation

The Role of Youths in Social Change

“There’s a fountain of the youth. It is our mind, our talents, the creativity we bring to our life and the lives of people we love. When we learn to tap this source, we will truly have defeated age” –  Sophia Loren .

The role of youths

WHO ARE THE YOUTHS?

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “Youth is the period of life between the Childhood and Adult age”. It is also “the qualities of energy, freshness, immaturity, e.t.c associated with being young”.

Youth can also be defined as one of the greatest assets a nation or country can be proud of which are constantly regarded as the future leaders, young men and women who use their potential values, talents, vital resources worth of investment by a country to foster the development of a nation and act as a centre of reconstruction.

Youth has been termed the notable change agent and drivers of societal transformation especially in diverse developing countries and must be able to rise and develop their mindset through their various talents or uniqueness.

In Nigeria as at 2012,using the National Population Commission (NpopC) projections, Nigeria was said to have a population of 167Millions of which half or 50% of these were said to be youth in the age category of 15-34 years. Nigeria as a country is said to be the country that has the largest youth population in the framework of this definition.

To keen further, I would love to explain some terminologies for better understanding of the concept of youth and positive development:

  • Social change
  • Moral system of belief
  • Potential Values
  • Social innovation

Social change:

Social change may be defined as the notion of social progress or sociocultural evolution I.e the philosophical idea that a society moves forward by evolutionary means(WIKIPEDIA).

As regards to the two words coined together ‘social ‘change’, societal change or social change simply means the process by which a country changes or develops economically, culturally, religiously, scientifically or technologically.

The social changes in Nigeria is traceable since we became independent back in 1960 till this present day. Some of these changes includes:

  • Shift from regions to state (that is today 36 state)
  • Shift from Agriculture to Oil production
  • Transition towards a Democratic government
  • National identity
  • Utilization of the various platforms and groups
  • Existence and development in the country’s cultural heritage
  • Forging a strong alliance with what is left of the judiciary
  • Executive influence and coercion over process of governance

Moral System of belief:

This can be defined as the set of beliefs or rules that governs an individual action from what is right and wrong. Sometimes these rules are backed up by religious belief whereas our own believe can go a long way in achieving our set goals.

A form of shibboleth exist in this country whereby many youth still believe that those that are successful are born rich or uses charms for their development which is ideally not. These believes and individual mindset make the youth of nowadays engage in one fraudulent activity or the other.

Regardless of the prevailing circumstances, we should strive and make something work out of nothing.

Potential Values:

The potential values is an individual overall uniqueness or talents which makes him different from others. It is a form of self worth that occurs through the individual abilities and capabilities.

Social innovation:

Social innovation can be defined as the creation of new ideas through individual experiences, knowledge and abilities for positive impact.

A social innovation is also regarded as a novel solution to a social problem that is more effective, efficient, sustainable, or just present solutions and for which the value created accrues primarily to society as a whole rather than private individuals (Stanford Business centre for innovation).

As a youth, we all have one innovative sense and therefore bringing this sense together in a creative way resolves existing social, cultural, economic, and environmental challenges.

The role of youths

Role of youth in Social Change and Social Innovation

I was told and I believed in the past that all these government establishments traversed university campuses in search of prospective employees, even before they graduate. Today in Nigeria, the story is vice versa; in fact even those who have reached the highest academic echelon find it difficult to secure a good job and at times homeless.

In spite the fact that politics is the terrain of participation where most influential decisions are made, youth should play a major role in the political participation through voting their right choice of candidate that will represent them in government. There is lack of youth-friendly structures and method of work. Imagine in a country where the youth are being used as political thuggery and mostly engage in politics because of money.

Let’s come together as one and make the nation understand that we nearly cover the total population.

Locating individual area of strength for betterments

This is categorized as one of the basic role of youth in social innovation.

Having understand the area of strength, the next thing is to induce ourselves to start something creative with our own ideas and uniqueness.

Education is not an excuse for an individual not to be successful or not to contribute to the development of the nation. Though, without adequate education there would be limited vacancies in the job market whereby youth faces difficult transition to adulthood and independence as they are likely to experience unemployment, poverty and social exclusion.

In reference to what Mr Kazeem Noibi said in the youth symposium that we should move from our comfort zone and develop our potential values (talents) towards the development of the nation.

Define yourself and be creative enough to be self employed instead of seeking unnecessary job opportunities. Wizkid, Olamide, Brymo, Falz, e.t.c are examples of Nigerian youth who move away from their comfort zone to be productive. Some of them might have been a drop out in their early stage in life but on the long run they went back to school in other not for their achievement to be limited.

Agriculture:

“If all the youth in Nigeria want to go into farming, there’s enough land to do so”  – Ogunlolu Yemi.

Nigeria is a country that is blessed with crude oil and come to think of it what is the benefit of these crude oil to youth? Though it is being used as a source of generating income/revenue to the government. However, if the youth can play a major role in agricultural produce, the rate of poverty in the country will reduce. In a situation where there is no enough expertise in agricultural sector there would be:

  • Low quality of farm produce
  • High cost of farm produce (inflation)

Engagement of youth in accountability mechanism

This country needs more qualified Engineers, Fashion Designers, Economists, Journalists, Doctors, Teachers, e.t.c. to lead us to our developmental aspiration. However to help us as youth to where we want and enable us to become effective contributors to nation building, all hands must be on deck to achieve this objectives as we all need more trainings, motivations and support from our parent.

It is true that today’s youth are facing many challenges relate to unemployment, drug abuse, human trafficking, tribalism piracy but there also exits opportunities to gradually overcome some of these challenges. Having said all that, it is also important for we the youth to believe in ourselves so as to be accountable both individually and collectively to nation building.

“The destiny of the nation is in the shoulder of the youth, let us strive and make something work out of nothing”

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essay the role of youth in society

Abiola Oyetunde

I'm a young man who is up to provide a solution to every human problems in-terms of economic, social,behavioral, physical,marital e.t.c with my various writing skills, knowledge and pragmatic vision.

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Nice write up

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We should all see present economic situation of Nigerian as an opportunity to break out from our shell, come out of our comfort zone and creatively think of something out of nothing. Regardless of the economic Holocaust ravaging our nation and the world at large, we should stand firm with resoluted determination and deadly commitment to our course in life; We can still make it, be a force to be reckon with and role model to the coming generation.

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I believe Nigeria youth have the potential ability in each choosing endeavour it lay with the government to create an enable environment and to make the right strategy policy.

[…] going out, we’ll take extra money with us, we’ll say, “to buy gala”. These young people are the leaders of our country, yet they are on the road, […]

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Five ways young people are contributing to their communities

August 11, 2023.

essay the role of youth in society

Young women in Djibouti take part in a civic tech training.

Building social cohesion and peace in Djibouti and Trinidad and Tobago

In a world that is constantly evolving, the role of youth in shaping the future of their communities is more crucial than ever. From advocating for social cohesion and peace to leading initiatives for gender equality, young people are taking charge and making a significant impact.

Here are five roles that the young people are playing in their communities, for a better future for all.

UNDP supports young people across the globe through its Funding Windows, primary thematic funding instrument that ensures the support goes to those who need it the most.

Young people play a vital role in building their communities and creating an inclusive and peaceful environment. Supporting them in developing the knowledge and skills to do so is a step towards them taking that role.

In Djibouti, young women are developing skills in civic tech to enhance their role as social cohesion promoters and contribute to transformative changes in building social contracts. 87 young women and 18 associations have successfully conducted activities to prevent inter-community violence, discourage school dropouts and drug consumption among young people, and promote environmental safeguarding.

Through the Peace Innovation Challenge in Trinidad and Tobago, more than 100 submissions were received from women, youth organizations and individuals. These proposals focused on promoting peace at the community level, with the best ideas receiving grants to implement them. 

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Young entrepreneurs are rising to the many global challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis and changing economic landscapes.

Securing work opportunities in Mali, Burkina Faso & Mauritania

Young people face the consequences of many global challenges such as the aftermath of the pandemic, the climate crisis and changing economic landscapes disproportionately, affecting their possibilities to gain decent employment and start their own businesses. Creating jobs opportunities for youth and building the skills of young people to start their own businesses is also opening up paths for economic empowerment and steering people away from radicalism, that often offers lucrative pathways for the disfranchised.

MOURAVAGHA is a national support system for young unemployed graduates in Mauritania. More than 9000 young graduates are developing their job search and application skills. The students were also placed in companies through internships that offer them job opportunities at the end.

Various cash-for-work projects provided job opportunities for more than 1,800+ young people in Mali and Burkina Faso. The young people, including women and youth that have been affected by crisis, engaged in waste management & collection activities as well as other public work programs. In the Seytenga and Falagountou communes of Burkina Faso,   young people gained more income and secured loans for further activities.

essay the role of youth in society

Conflict in Ethiopia has affected peoples' lives and how they earn their livings.

Acquiring skills for a better future in Ethiopia and Morocco

Young people’s creativity can open doors for a better future for all. Enabling young people to turn their ideas into reality, whether they be projects, policies or businesses, benefits both the young people and their communities. Entrepreneurship and vocational skills training can enable young people to open their own businesses. 

The conflict in Ethiopia has affected the lives and livelihoods of both people and their businesses. Many rural youth are unemployed and have dropped out of school and are now without a job and source of income. This makes them vulnerable. Some 345 young people are now creating jobs for other youth after developing their skills in local businesses and receiving start-up capital. More than 400 women and young people, including survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, trained in vocational skills that would help them increase their income.

Youth Aspirations and Abilities to Advance Nationwide Innovation project works with young Moroccan leaders to support them develop social innovations and businesses that tackle the most pressing challenges in their communities. Among the most sought-after skills among young people are leadership and emotional intelligence as well as business innovation. Through extensive training and mentoring, 150 young people developed their skills. 

Fighting gender-based violence in Chad and Colombia

In Chad and Colombia, more than 500 young people used their voices to fight gender-based violence. 

A university advocacy contest gathered stories from students, inspiring others to join the movement in Chad. As a result, a campaign raised awareness of more than 19,000 people around women’s rights and gender-based violence.

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in Colombia, young people talked about the prevention of violence in an online campaign, reaching thousands of views on social media. 

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Raneem, 20, from Deir ez-Zour, Syria has been able to reclaim her farmland thanks to support from UNDP.

Rehabilitating farmlands in Syria

Young people play many roles in their societies, from the fields to the parliaments. 

One of these young people is Raneem, 20, from Syria [ . She is one of the 54 farmers who were able to reclaim their land through a well rehabilitation programme, that helped them to make the land fertile again. This has created an income for more than 2,000 labourers.

“We had no hope before the wells were rehabilitated. The land is now fertile. We plant different crops every season. We are also hiring other women to support us during harvest." -  Raneem 

Supporting young people through Funding Windows

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is not possible without young people. 

UNDP continues to support youth across the globe through its Funding Windows, its primary thematic funding instrument to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

"The young people were supported through the Governance, Peacebuilding, Crisis and Resilience Window in 2022 with our partners Denmark, Luxembourg, Republic of Korea, Sweden, and Switzerland. Together, we aim to create an environment where young people can thrive and have a say at the future of themselves and their communities."

Read more about the Funding Windows in our website and annual report:

https://www.undp.org/funding/funding-windows

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Who are the youth of today generation unlimited, we have approached several young people to understand their vision and how they look at the society they live in and make it their own, from each one perspective.

Who are the youth of today? Generation unlimited

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Being young is a synonym of change, progress and future. Being young is, ultimately, facing challenges and creating or recreating a space for future full development. It means turning problems into opportunities and solutions and being the driving force of society. 

Today, on the International Youth Day 2020 , we celebrate their visions and their choices, we celebrate “Youth Engagement for Global Action”, a slogan that seeks to highlight the ways young people engage at the local, national and global levels. 

Global challenges, like the coronavirus pandemic or climate change, as well as local issues, will have an effect on the future. It is time to see the extent to which this affects the youngest population and to advance solutions. People aged 14 to 29 years represent the largest generation in history.

We reached out to several Cuban youngsters to know about their visions, their roles in society as individuals and part of the population. From their individuality’s point of view, these young people look at the society in which they have to live and how to make it their own. They were posed with two questions, to which they had shared responses. What do you think is the role of young people these days? What are you doing from your position to help young people?

The group of people that goes from 14 to 29 years of age constitute the largest generation in history

Magdany Acosta Gallardo, 18 years old

Young people not only represent the future of our country, we are one of society’s main agents of change and progress. We have a great effect on economic development too. In this stage of our lives, we build many social relationships and develop a personality that defines us as a new generation. What we do when we become adults depends on how we think and act today. 

Yaicelín Palma Tejas, 27 years old

Young people only have one role and is the same they have always had. It does not change, because their role is actually changing everything, doing things better than before and injecting them with joy and energy.  

Being a journalist, I think my contribution as a champion of young people is to highlight our role as agents of change. As a young citizen, I join every call for autonomy and emancipation, which are challenges for everyone across the globe.

Carlos Alejandro Sánchez, 22 years old

I think young people play a crucial role today no matter the society they live in. We are the ones transforming, consciously or not, our reality, either at the university, at our workplace or in other spaces, and we do it by contributing with a new and updated vision to daily activities. It is our responsibility to make society evolve and stand up for our opinions in the best possible way.   

The opportunity of appearing in the media through radio or television every day, in addition to my presence in social networks, which are so popular nowadays, has undeniably helped me to convey messages and show my way of thinking to many more people than usual. Being able to have a positive influence on my generation and on others through my words and actions makes me very proud. For example, hosting a news programme or a show aimed at a young audience is a huge responsibility, but it has allowed me to prove that no matter how young you are, if you want something and are willing to fight for it, you can do it because everything in life is about perseverance and attitude.

Roxana Broche, 25 years old

Young people are the cornerstone of society and represent a generational renewal. This is something that has been said so many times, but the reality is that young people are the ones in charge of building a legacy.

As an actress, I think I can share my life and professional experiences to help and inspire young people, without saturating them with the message. The more one talks about life experiences, the more knowledge one can offer, and I think that is a key element, sharing knowledge so that other people can reuse it.

Anthony Bravo, 20 years old

I am lucky to be a young singer, but you also have a big responsibility when you have a voice; that is why my work at this time has been focused on conveying messages of wellbeing and trying to reproduce behaviours that contribute to personal growth which, in turn, drives a collective creation based on principles that put the fate of society before the fate of individuals. The best way to contribute with something positive to the community is to ensure our own wellbeing; humanity starts with the family.

Through my music, my lyrics, also as a design student and even as an active subject in our country, I’ve taken on as my duty to be a spokesman for ideas that I think are useful. I have put my time and ideas at the service of my generation.

Generation Unlimited

Luis Daniel del Riego Carralero. 16 years old

At our age, our role in the world is to carry out some important functions for our society and eventually become responsible adults, committed to our time. For example, there are young people who are leading and paralyzing the world in a long fight against the lack of action of some to avoid global warming. We have proven that we can offer a better future and that we are willing to fight against all odds to achieve that.

Leslie Alonso Figueroa, 27 years old

Young people have the challenge, without forgetting the past, to fight for a fair world. Phobias and discrimination, male chauvinism, gender violence and racism are some of the challenges to overcome. Young people, from their area of actions, study or workplace must fight together in the ultimate pursuit of societies of rights, with everyone’s help and for everyone’s good.  

My job as a communicator and a professor is marked by the challenges of the world’s youth which are our challenges as well.  We are all living and coexisting in the same place where forces such as climate change or the new coronavirus make us rethink our strategies and roles to build the future we need.

Harold Naranjo, 20 years old

In my opinion, the role of young people nowadays is to be very productive and, even though there are some who may not find a specific purpose, I’m sure there are many who are able to fulfil their dreams, accompanied by music, dance, performing, communication and other artistic manifestations. All that is what I can see in a place like the Centre A+ Espacios Adolescentes, a programme that provides the opportunity to explore creative capacities and to which I feel lucky to belong!

In my case I had the chance to host radio shows as a way to reflect the different concerns of boys and girls who feel identified with the contents because we address topics of interest and skills that are useful to adolescents, young people and families in general to build together the society we want.  

Randol Betancourt Milian. 16 years old

Young people represent an important human resource within society since they act like agents of social change, economic development and progress.

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20,000 young people from Latin America and the Caribbean call on leaders to take action at the EU-CELAC Summit

Sociology Group: Welcome to Social Sciences Blog

Youth in Politics: Challenges, Importance, Role (Essay and Debate)

Political participation: overview and faced challenges

“Where few take part in decisions there is little democracy; the more participation there is in decisions, the more democracy there is” (Verba & Nie, 1972). The present statement proves that the political presence of different individuals has a huge impact on democracy and policy. Hence, the present article will attempt to tackle the political participation of youth in the field of politics.

  • Table of contents
  • Introduction

What is youth political participation?

Must the youth participate in politics.

  • Obstacles to youth participation

Meaningful political participation

So, what is the role of youth in politics after all.

Youth in Politics

Political participation refers to “those voluntary activities by which members of a society share in the selection of rulers and, directly or indirectly, in the formation of public policy” (McClosky, 1968). In other words, it encompasses citizens’ activities that affect politics in general. These participatory activities include voting, demonstrating, contacting public officials, boycotting, attending party rallies, guerrilla gardening, posting blogs, volunteering, joining flash mobs, signing petitions, buying fair-trade products, and even suicide protests (Jan W. van, 2021). According to Weiss (2020), even though “existing definitions of political participation are adequate to capture youth participation; the current literature is inconsistent in the inclusion of new modes of participation that are increasingly common among young adults.” In the same vein, Dan Maxon believes that in the youth field, political participation is used loosely to indicate activities, phenomena, and practices. He also points out that some forms of participation have a limited impact on policy-making such as youth activism and youth social action; the alternative use of public spaces; and political memes and online political debates. The latter forms of participation can take place away from political institutions, which makes political participation a challenging term to define.  Apparently, almost every activity by some citizens somehow can be understood sometimes as a form of political participation (van Deth, 2001).

Youth constitute a large portion of the population in every community. Consequently, it is imperative to give them a voice and include them in political decision-making. Not only is inclusiveness “a fundamental political and democratic right” but it is also “crucial to building stable and peaceful societies and developing policies that respond to the specific needs of younger generations.”(Goudie et al, 2018).

According to the OECD’s guide, many benefits can come from “putting youth at the heart of the government’s strategies and initiatives”:

  • Taking advantage of the demographic transition : the youth represent a large portion of the population, which means that their participation can have a great impact on the balance of power. As a result, empowering the youth to take action socially, economically, and politically is of great importance.
  • Encouraging innovation and economic development : youth is a great source of innovative and original ideas. Hence, engaging them and encouraging their active participation can boost the development of societies.
  • Building active citizenship : only through taking on the duty to make important decisions will the youth understand how crucial their role is. When policymakers address their needs and demands, civic behaviour is strengthened and trust and transparency are promoted between the government and the citizens.
  • Encouraging an online debate: living in a digital age, and understanding how technology works are useful to improve youth interaction and engagement.

Bárta (2021) points out that there are four main aims of youth political participation:

  • Right-based aims: youth actually have access to mechanisms that enable them to participate effectively.
  • Empowerment aims : youth speak their minds and express themselves freely regarding decision-making and political processes.
  • Efficiency aims : allow the youth to develop informed processes and regulations.
  • Developmental aims : enable the youth to acquire the necessary skills and competencies to become efficient actors.

It is safe to conclude that supporting the acquisition of commitment and participation from an early age through the reinforcement of civic education and citizenship as well as community involvement is very important.

Obstacles to youth in politics

According to The ACE Electoral Knowledge Network website, youth political engagement occurs at several levels and in various contexts, namely on structural, individual, and organizational levels:

On the structural level, the following elements are included: age requirements to vote or run for office, age restriction in campaigning in some countries, lack of political finance, Social and cultural traditions, and women’s discrimination based on their age and gender.

On the individual level, there exists Distrust in political institutions, a sack of confidence and trust in EMBs, lack of access to/knowledge about political processes, and social and economic exclusion/marginalization.

On the organizational level, there is limited data on youth political participation and a lack of an exclusive EMB youth policy and sustainable funding.

Also referred to as ‘effective practice or participation’, meaningful political participation is a concept with many definitions across the literature. However, the following aspects are common in most definitions according to Bárta et al (2021):

Information and communication : in order to achieve favourable results, young people should have access to the latest information at all times. This fosters their knowledge and hones their awareness about different matters. The implementation of youth-focused conferences, workshops and other capacity-building formats can also facilitate a great deal achieve meaningful political participation.

Authority and voice: giving young people the authority to express their ideas and thoughts publicly is not enough. Other stakeholders in political involvement procedures must also hear and respect their voices.

Power sharing : young people should also have the opportunity where they can actively participate in decision-making processes alongside stakeholders. This obviously should be executed in a transparent environment to attain efficiency.

Transparency and accountability: these elements are imperative to achieve meaningful participation. Young people should be fully briefed on the procedures and mechanisms that are taking place and affecting them. They should be aware of the roles they play, as well as the other players that are engaged and in what capacity.

Material and non-material support : no matter what their background, status, gender, or identity, young people should be able to participate freely and safely. They should also feel welcomed and appreciated during their political activities. Stakeholders should also recognise their efforts and engage them.

According to the Palestinian News and Info Agency ( Wafa ), conforming to democratic standards, young people are to fulfil their role in politics as follows:

  • Strengthening the collective spirit between the youth to value the teamwork experience.
  • Selecting experienced youth with qualified competencies, such as modern management methods.
  • Enhancing a sense of belonging in young people to render them conscious of regulations and laws.
  • Encouraging initiatives among young people by unleashing their energies to get creative and innovative results. Awarding them can be a great incentive too.
  • Pushing young people to open up to other cultures through meetings with youth organizations in different countries, will promote relations of solidarity and cooperation between nations as an alternative to war and aggression tendencies.
  • Enhancing the role of youth in public service through volunteering in different sectors to have a better understanding of their communities. 
  • Discovering and adopting the different talents and potentials of young people by giving them opportunities to give, innovate and develop in various practical, scientific, artistic and other fields. Investing in their capacities would have many benefits in the future
  • Promoting the values of tolerance, goodwill, and acceptance of the “other” from a position of difference and acknowledging their existence.
  • Supporting the plurality of ideas and convictions in society as part of the values and principles of democracy creates a safety valve for the promotion of the general community and the official political environment.

To conclude, creating a legitimate, accountable, democratic system requires parity of the political presence of its members. The more all parties in society are involved in the political aspects, the more the country will strive. Young people, who make up an important party usually in countries, play a huge role in the future of politics. Not only do they come up with innovative solutions, but also one can notice a number of positive outcomes such as enhanced social skills, better conduct, higher academic performance, higher self-esteem, and higher self-efficacy. As a result, it is time for decision-makers to act in order to involve the youth in policy-making, enabling them to participate meaningfully.

Bárta, O. et al (2021). Meaningful Youth Political Participation In Europe: Concepts, Patterns And Policy Implications. Council of Europe and European Commission.

Faire Participer Les Jeunes Au Gouvernement Ouvert. Guide de communication. OCDE.

  • Jan W. van Deth. (2021). What is political participation?
  • Weiss, J. (2020). What Is Youth Political Participation? Literature Review on Youth Political Participation and Political Attitudes
  • Young people’s role in the process of societal change. Link: https://info.wafa.ps/ar_page.aspx?id=3202
  • Youth, Political Participation and Decision-Making. The United Nations.

essay the role of youth in society

Kawthar Marchli

Kawthar Marchli is a freelance translator translating from and into Arabic, English, and French. She got her Master thesis from King Fahd School of Translation in 2020. Since her graduation, she had the opportunity to translate a number of lengthy works (reports, guides, drafts, documents research, advertisements, surveys, manuals...) in the three languages, related to the political field administration, banking, etc. In her free time, she loves to read books, listen to podcasts, watch movies or take pictures.

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Youth and Society Essay

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essay the role of youth in society

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This study has been carried out to understand the priority initiatives that can be undertaken by the social economy organizations themselves and the institutions with educational tasks (university, secondary schools, training centres) to foster the meeting of the supply and employment de- mand for quali ed young people. The importance of the social economy for youth employment has grown in the recession years. While many enterprises were closing down or reducing sta numbers, many cooperatives and social enterprises in- creased their employees by as much as 2% per year, and in this study we even see cases where in the ve-year period from 2008 to 2012 employ- ment doubled. That big world of the social and solidaristic economy, consisting of non-pro t enterprises, associations, mutual foundations and ethical nance, etc. gives work to 14.5 million people in Europe. It has never been considered an economic element, but rather a social compo- nent. Over the last decades, it has proven to be an important actor in re- sponding to the need to expand youth employment. «The social economy [...] increased more than proportionately between 2002-03 and 2009- 10, increasing from 6% to 6.5% of total European paid employment and from 11 million to 14.5 million jobs» (European Commission, 2013c: 45). With this study, we intended to focus our attention on the impact that the social economy has on the employment of young people and, in particular, on how to scale down the barriers and obstacles that produce the mismatch between employment supply and demand, both in terms of the competences required by the labour market and produced by the training curricula, and of the ends and sense of the training courses and the need to prepare young people to enter and, above all, stay in the la- bour market. Hence, from all the material gathered, we have chosen to report and analyse the empirical material on 52 case studies relating to organizations operating in sectors with a hypothetically high potential for the expansion of employment among young people with or without suitable levels of education. Also coming about to aid the employment of non-skilled workers, the social economy has been characterized by a demand for competences that do not necessarily require a high level of quali cations. Howev- er, today, faced with the evolution in requirements from the popula- tion and institutions, it has ventured into areas and sectors that require growing levels of quali cations and specializations. The study of the employment trends in the sample in question provides a clear indica- tion that the increase in employment demand is mainly for young peo- ple with high skill levels. Starting from these premises, we tried to analyse and investigate some features of the demand for competences in the most important sectors of the social economy which, more than others, absorb the supply of workers with quali cations in the educational, training and social sec- tors. The aim of studying the demand was to draw indications on ways to build initial training curricula for some of the professional families required by this speci c sector of the labour market. As a whole, the in- vestigation is all the richer thanks to its comparative dimension, since it is based on ndings from the SALM project and takes into considera- tion the cases of organizations working in Portugal, Malta, Romania, Scotland, Spain and Tuscany. The work carried out enabled us to begin to gain a clearer de nition of the access to a speci c labour market, which is nevertheless of central importance for the sustainability of services for citizens. Where in Eu- rope, until two or three decades ago, support for the educational/training/ social care of the human person was theorized through state interven- tion and only possible in the most economically advanced countries, at present we are in a time, accelerated by the world crisis of 2007-2008, in which these educational, cultural, social and care services are man- aged by forms of a di erent economy from that of the nation-state. In this sense, it is important and strategic to understand the link between building employability for young people who want to enter this speci c labour market and the requests for competences coming from the em- ployers and the users of these markets, for the future of the educational professions, for the improvement of service quality standards, and for the personal and social well-being of all the actors who can and want to help innovate and transfer ideas and measures for the future of our so- cieties. In relation to this, given that measures are required to accom- pany young people in their integration in the labour market, we have developed, albeit not at a comparative level, applied research activities in the sphere of placement and job ‘formation’ in the educational and care professions. In addition, we have studied and tested a toolkit to improve the young people’s competences and employability, as well as their self- employment and entrepreneurship

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The potential of young people to be agents of social and economic progress continues to be undermined by massive unemployment. According to statistics on the Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender affairs website, youth unemployment in Kenya stands at 61%. This is very alarming yet according to the Global Youth Development Index and Report of 2016. Young people are a force for peace, democracy, equality and good governance, a catalyst for global consensus-building, and an essential resource for sustainable development and poverty eradication. It is interesting that among the unemployed youth are certificate, diploma and degree holders! Is there a disconnect between academic training and resultant qualifications on the one hand and youth employability on the other? Why are the youth unemployed when social media platforms, print and electronic media, and the internet are full of job advertisements day in day out? My hypothesis is that syllabi for the implementation of academic p...

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Essay on Role of Youths in Nation Building for Students and Children

500 words essay on role of youths in nation building.

It is a well-known fact that the youth of any country is a great asset. They are indeed the future of the country and represent it at every level. The role of youths in nation-building is more important than you might think. In other words, the intelligence and work of the youth will take the country on the pathway of success. As every citizen is equally responsible, the youth is too. They are the building blocks of a country.

essay on role of youths in nation building

Role of Youth

The youth is important because they will be our future. Today they might be our partners, tomorrow they will go on to become leaders. The youths are very energetic and enthusiastic. They have the ability to learn and adapt to the environment . Similarly, they are willing to learn and act on it as well to achieve their goals.

Our youth can bring social reform and improvement in society. We cannot make do without the youth of a country. Furthermore, the nation requires their participation to achieve the goals and help in taking the country towards progress.

Likewise, we see how the development of any country requires active participation from the youth. It does not matter which field we want to progress in, whether it is the technical field or sports field, youth is needed. It is up to us how to help the youth in playing this role properly. We must make all the youth aware of their power and the role they have to play in nation-building.

Ways to Help the Youth

There are many ways in which we can help the youth of our country to achieve their potential. For that, the government must introduce programs that will help in fighting off issues like unemployment, poor education institutes and more to help them prosper without any hindrance.

Similarly, citizens must make sure to encourage our youth to do better in every field. When we constantly discourage our youth and don’t believe in them, they will lose their spark. We all must make sure that they should be given the wind beneath their wings to fly high instead of bringing them down by tying chains to their wings.

Furthermore, equal opportunities must be provided for all irrespective of caste, creed, gender , race, religion and more. There are various issues of nepotism and favoritism that is eating away the actual talent of the country. This must be done away with as soon as possible. We must make sure that every youth has the chance to prove themselves worthy and that must be offered equally to all.

In short, our youth has the power to build a nation so we must give them the opportunity. They are the future and they have the perspective which the older generations lack. Their zeal and enthusiasm must be channelized properly to help a nation prosper and flourish.

FAQ on Essay on Role of Youths in Nation Building

Q.1 What role does youth play in nation-building?

A.1 The youth plays a great role in nation-building. It has the power to help a country develop and move towards progress. It also is responsible for bringing social reform within a country. The youth of a country determine the future of a nation.

Q.2 How can we help youth?

A.2 As well all know youth is facing too many problems nowadays. We need to give them equal opportunities in every field so they can succeed well. They must be given all the facilities and also encouraged to take the challenge to achieve success.

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Book cover

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Through Sustainable Food Systems pp 229–245 Cite as

The Role of Youth in Achieving the SDGs: Supporting Youth-Led Solutions for Sustainable Food Systems

  • Dario Piselli 5 , 6 ,
  • Siamak Sam Loni 7 ,
  • Kayla Colyard 8 &
  • Sienna Nordquist 9 , 10  
  • First Online: 11 October 2019

1390 Accesses

3 Altmetric

Young people are often identified as “the leaders of tomorrow”. In recent years, however, this mantra has slowly been replaced by a growing emphasis on the role of youth communities as critical agents of change, “leaders of today” who are already contributing to the sustainable development of their economies and societies. This holds particularly true for the challenge of food system sustainability, given that increases in agricultural productivity and broader rural transformation critically require skills and knowledge that rural youth are more likely to possess over older adults. Accordingly, this chapter analyzes the interplay between existing youth-led contributions to implement Sustainable Development Goal 2 (‘No Hunger’) and the challenges imposed upon young people by unsustainable agricultural practices and food systems. First, the chapter examines the negative impacts that unsustainable food systems have on rural youth, including in terms of rural outmigration, youth unemployment and rural poverty. Secondly, the chapter focuses on young people’s actual contributions to sustainable food system transformations, as well as on the importance of addressing the barriers facing young farmers and entrepreneurs in their countries and communities.

  • Youth bulge
  • Sustainable agriculture
  • Food systems
  • Youth-led solutions
  • 2030 Agenda
  • Rural development

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See https://www.barillacfn.com/en/bcfnyes2018/ . Accessed 17 September 2018.

See https://www.resolutionproject.org/issues/agriculture . Accessed 17 September 2018. The Resolution Project specifically counts 29% of fellows working directly on food and agriculture and an additional 20% working indirectly on wider food systems challenges in the areas of environmental conservation and climate change.

See http://e4impact.org/mba/meet-our-champions/ . Accessed 17 September 2018. More specifically, 221 of the 659 ventures supported by E4Impact are categorized under the Agriculture and Food sector.

AIESEC. (2016). YouthSpeak global report. Resource document . AIESEC. Retrieved September 17, 2018, from https://issuu.com/aiesecinternational/docs/report_youthspeak_2016 .

Amsler, K., Hein, C., & Klasek, G. (2016, July 15). New skills or access to resources: what do young farmers need most? CGIAR. Retrieved September 17, 2018, from https://ccafs.cgiar.org/blog/new-skills-or-access-resources-what-do-young-farmers-need-most#.W6T6TC2Q2L0 .

Atlaw, D., Estruch, E., & Termine, P. (2016). Youth mobility, food security and rural poverty reduction (RYM). Resource document . FAO. Retrieved July 26, 2018, from http://www.fao.org/3/a-i6099e.pdf .

Baumann, P. (2002). Improving access to natural resources for the rural poor. Resource document . FAO. Retrieved September 17, 2018, from http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/ad683e/ad683e00.htm#Contents .

Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network. (2018). SDG Index and Dashboards Report 2018. Global Responsibilities. Resource document . Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Retrieved September 17, 2018, from http://www.sdgindex.org/assets/files/2018/01%20SDGS%20GLOBAL%20EDITION%20WEB%20V9%20180718.pdf .

Campbell, B. M., et al. (2017). Agriculture production as a major driver of the Earth System exceeding planetary boundaries. Ecology and Society, 22 (4), 8. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-09595-220408 .

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Corporate Citizenship. (2016). Advancing the sustainable development goals: Business action and millennials’ views. Resource document . Corporate Citizenship. Retrieved September 17, 2018, from https://corporate-citizenship.com/wp-content/uploads/Advancing-the-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Business-Action-and-Millennials-Views.pdf .

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Piselli, D., Loni, S.S., Colyard, K., Nordquist, S. (2019). The Role of Youth in Achieving the SDGs: Supporting Youth-Led Solutions for Sustainable Food Systems. In: Valentini, R., Sievenpiper, J., Antonelli, M., Dembska, K. (eds) Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Through Sustainable Food Systems. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23969-5_13

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Publications: The Role of Youth Organizations and Youth Movements for Social Change

As a part of its collaboration with the Born This Way Foundation , the Berkman Center is publishing on this website a series of papers that synthesize existing peer-reviewed research or equivalent scholarship and provide research-grounded insight to the variety of stakeholders working on issues related to youth empowerment and action towards creating a kinder, braver world.  This series, called the The Kinder & Braver World Project: Research Series (danah boyd, John Palfrey, and Dena Sacco, editors), is presented by the Born This Way Foundation & the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, and supported by the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation .? ?  This set of papers involves topics related to the Role of Youth Organizations and Youth Movements for Social Change.

The Value of Youth Organizing by Jerusha Conner

Across the country, adolescents have become deeply involved in struggles for equity and social justice, as they work to promote a kinder, braver world. Although youth have long been leaders in social change efforts, today’s young people are increasingly supported in this work through youth organizing programs. This paper explains what youth organizing is, identifies four ways in which it benefits the young people involved, offers suggestions for mitigating any downsides of participation, and addresses barriers that youth organizing groups may face .

Youth and Social Movements: Key Lessons for Allies by Sasha Costanza-Chock

We have much to learn from young people who are already engaged in mobilizing their peers, families, and communities towards positive social transformation. This paper discusses challenges, and provides recommendations for educators and adult allies of youth movements.

Cultivating Young Women’s Leadership for a Kinder, Braver World by Anna Rorem and Dr. Monisha Bajaj

There is not much research exploring leadership development and civic participation among youth, and even less among young women. Policymakers and others seeking to better serve youth in pursuit of a “kinder, braver world” should take into account the research that does exist. This research indicates that youth who engage in service to their communities learn leadership skills through civic action and may be more likely to vote and be civically engaged as adults. Youth who demonstrate leadership skills can, and should, be considered current assets to their communities.

How Participatory Action Research Can Promote Social Change and Help Youth Development by Cara Berg Powers and Erin Allaman

Participatory Action Research (PAR) is a process through which people investigate meaningful social topics, participate in research to understand the root causes of problems that directly impact them, and then take action to influence policies through the dissemination of their findings to policymakers and stakeholders. Like other types of youth organizing, PAR promotes youth’s involvement in their communities and the development of leadership skills. It emphasizes the development of young people’s knowledge, skills, and abilities to be experts on issues of importance to them, and catalyze systemic change in collaboration with their peers and supportive adults.

Engaging Youth, Serving Community: Social Change Lessons from a 4-H Rural Youth Development Program by Donna J. Peterson, Barbara A. Baker, JoAnne Leatherman, Michael E. Newman, and Sally Miske

Social change targeted at empowering youth requires youth and adults to work together as equals. Youth-adult partnerships create a platform to amplify youth voices. To succeed, youth-adult partnerships must be built on open communication and equal voice.   Using a case study, this paper shares six broadly applicable lessons learned through the Engaging Youth, Serving Community (ESYC) program. Based on evaluation and understanding of the EYSC experience, it highlights examples of how youth-adult partnerships can promote social change and civic engagement.

Youth Organizations and Positive Development: Lessons Learned from a Century of Girl Scouting by Kamla Modi, Judy Schoenberg, and Kallen Tsikalas of the Girl Scout Research Institute © 2012 Girl Scouts of the USA

Since its inception in 2000, the Girl Scout Research Institute has employed a research-to-action approach so that insights from our work with girls and young women can directly inform Girl Scouts of the USA’s program and policy development, as well as impact the larger youth development field. In the last decade, GSRI’s research and evaluation work has touched numerous organizations in the public and private spheres, making a practical impact on the lives of youth and providing other organizations with evidence needed to make a case for their own work.

Out of the Box: Positive Development & Social Change Through the Arts by Ping Ho

From early childhood to adolescence, the arts can foster youth movements for social change through positive development. Students who experience high levels of arts enrichment show greater academic performance, enrollment in and graduation from high school and college, civic and community service, news consumption, and engagement in local politics. Moreover, participation in the arts—even as a spectator—predicts increases in civic engagement, tolerance and altruism, regardless of age, race, or education.

How to Engage Young People: Lessons from Lowell, MA by Sopheap Linda C. Sou, Darcie DeAngelo, Masada Jones, and Monica Veth

A youth organization’s success depends on young people’s participation within the local community. Many of the issues facing young people today reflect a poor engagement with community politics, cultural identity formation, and risk-taking behaviors based on that identity formation.   The Teen Block was founded in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1990 with the goal of addressing these issues. Since that time, it has served over 8,000 young people, integrating social, behavioral, mental, and physical health.

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  • Role of Youth in Nation Building Essay

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Long and Short Essay on Role of Youth in Nation Building

The role of Youth in nation-building or development is very important, and this is because the development of any nation lies in the future generation. Democracy, economy, technology and the improvement of medical science all lie in the hands of the Youth. Poverty, unemployment, global warming, and pollution of many types are the problems that the world is facing today. The answer to solving all these problems lies with the next generation.

History is evident that the next generation has been the answer to solve future problems. As time passes by, it is required to adapt to the changes and bring a change in society. The Youth is capable of doing so; we can bring a change in society. So what is the role of the Youth for a better tomorrow? What are the qualities that are required to bring a change in society?. These two questions are very important, and all the students should know the answer to them. To answer these questions, the role of Youth in nation-building essays is written. 

Below a long and short essay on the role of youths in nation-building and frequently asked questions on the essay about the role of the Youth in our society is given. Students can refer to these essays and understand the importance of Youth in the development of the country and make a speech on the role of youth in nation-building.

Long Essay on Role of Youths in Nation-Building

Swami Vivekananda once said, 'My faith is in the younger generation, the modern generation and out of them will come to my workers. This quote describes the impact the Youth can have on society. More than 60% of the Youth helped Germany win the first world war far better or the worst. The mission to make the first person walk on the moon consisted of more than 80% of the Youth who helped in planning the whole mission. Likewise, Indian Youth also played an important role to make our country free from British rule. Youth has the power to change the world. When the Youth is united, we can make the world a better place to live, and when we are divided, we also have the power to destroy the world.

Youth is the most dynamic and important segment of the population in any country. Statistics show that the developing countries which have a huge youth population could be seeing tremendous growth in all the sectors of the countries provided they inc=vest in young people's education, health and protect and guarantee their rights. It is believed that today's young minds and tomorrow's leaders, creators, builders, and innovators.

For Youth to be good leaders, inventors and innovators, it is important that they are supported and are provided good health, training, and education to transform the future. There will be a boost in the economy of the country when the Youth is working and earning rather than being dependent on anyone.

As we all know that half of the world's population is now under the age of 25, and 1.8 billion people are between the age of 11-25. This is considered to be the largest youth generation to ever exist. Many countries such as Sweden, Japan, and Germany have already started gaining from the Youth by providing them opportunities in different sectors. It has been more than 80 years since the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. Any country would be devastated by the loss of lives and the destruction that was caused during that time, but Japan did not stop, and over the decades, the government of Japan has started investing in the Youth and the investment they made in the Youth during that time is giving them the profit now. More than 80% of Youth in Japan are responsible for the economic boost of the country. Industries such as Manga and Anime consist of 90% of young minds that are responsible for generating a revenue of 1.3 billion every year to the country. This is the impact that Youth can make on the country's growth. Here the role of Youth in the national development article is discussed.

Indian Youth- Confused or Confident? 

Let us talk about the Youth of India; Today, India is one of the youngest nations in the world, with more than 55% of the population is below the age of 25, and more than 60% of the population is the working age, which is between 15 to 60 years. It is estimated that the average age of the population by the year 2023 would be 29 years old and in India, whereas, in Japan, it would be 47 years, and in the United States of America, it would be 40 years old. The presence of younger people in our country gives us an edge over the demographic dividend over other countries. The demographic dividend is the growth in the economy of the country due to the change in the age structure of the country. The Youth of our country today are increasingly becoming restless and trying their best to make a difference, but it has not been enough. More effort should be made if we all want to end unemployment, poverty, corruption, and violence in the country. Due to the presence of these diseases in our society, there has been a delay in the development of the country.

India is the biggest democracy in the world, and still, it lags in achieving economic and socio-political growth. The two things which our freedom fighters fought for were freedom and the growth of the country, and after all those years, we have failed in achieving both goals. For 72 years, we have failed to fight unemployment, poverty, corruption, illiteracy, and violence in our country. India's ranks in the various development index have barely grown in recent years. For example, India ranks 116 in the Human Capital Index, 144 in the World Happiness Index, 131 in the Human Development Index, and 141 on the Gender Development Index. This shows the state in which our country is. If India wants to improve all these indices, then it is the responsibility of the Youth to come forward and take responsibility to fight against the multiple inequalities and contribute to the development of the country.

Statistics show that India has the upper hand over other countries as 62 % of the population is the Youth. Young minds are known to be innovative and hard-working that will help in the development of the country. Youth can change the country only if proper opportunities in the various fields are given to them. In our society, we have been guided to pursue careers in either engineering or medical science. This could be because of the pressure from the family or the trend in society. This has become a major cause for the downfall of the Youth. A statistical report suggests that about 55% of engineering Youth are unemployed because they don't have the required skills to crack a job. The Youth can change society if they consider pursuing a career in different fields like arts and politics. If proper opportunities are given to the Youth to represent their ideas in fields such as politics, then we can expect a drastic change in the country's growth. Young minds should be motivated to take part in politics and occupy high positions such as education minister, finance minister, bureaucrats, and even the Prime minister.

Youth has the power to bring change. They have the power to demand justice. For example, a mass protest by the Youth against the CAA bill in Delhi or the mass protest by the Youth in Delhi for justice of Nirbhaya cases are some of the examples of the strength of the Youth. TRO makes the Youth the ultimate power of the country, and educational programs should be developed that aims to teach the young people from the school level the importance and the impact they can have on the country. They should be taught about how the country works and how it can be a significant part of the development of the country. Youth should be motivated to consider different career options such as politics, which eventually helps in running the country. 

Our nation has been facing a lot of problems, and Youth has the power to resolve most of them. All the Youth of today need is a chance to prove themselves. Through many protests against corruption, rape against women, we have witnessed that the Youth have the power to unite individuals from various ethnic groups. The world has been facing many problems such as Racism and Islamophobia. Everyone is fighting with each other because of the religion to which they belong or the complexion of their skin color. These fights within the Youth are created by political leaders or the people with power because they know that the only way they could defeat the power of Youth is when we are divided. This is the reason why we need Youth in politics as youth leaders could convince other fellow men and women to live in peace and harmony. The differences and all these issues should not allow the Youth to be divided. Instead of focusing on these differences, youth leaders should lead the way and help the majority focus on the real issues that matter, such as poverty, crime against women, unemployment, and many more. The Youth has the ability to bring a change in the country. 

To conclude, the role of the Youth is very important in the building of a nation. They can be a positive influence in society and can also solve the problem by introducing innovative and impactful ideas that will only help in the betterment of the country. They have the ability to create an identity for themselves, which will help in creating an impact. All the youth needs is the support of their family and friends, and I can assure you that they can make our country great. 

Short Essay on the Role of Youth in National Development

India is the world's largest democracy and the second largest populated country in the world.65% of the population comprises the Youth, and this is enough to show the importance of Youth and how big of an asset they are for the country.

The role of Youth in nation-building is very important. The work they do and the ideas they help to bring to the table will take the country on the path to success. In spite of being the largest democracy in the world, India is still lagging behind in achieving the economic success that will help to make a mark in the world. It has been 72 years since the freedom of our country, and throughout all these years, India has been infected by a few diseases such as corruption, unemployment, poverty, malnutrition, no proper healthcare services, and a crime against men and women. Indians are ranked 144 in the world happiness index, 141 in the gender development index, and 145 in the Global burden Index. India's rank in the various development indexes has not improved over a few years. The only way India can improve the ranks in all these indices is through empowering the Youth of the country. The Youth need to take charge and come forward to fight for a better tomorrow, and that can only be done if proper opportunities are provided to Youth in different fields.

If anyone wants to bring a change in the system, the only option is to study and get into it. The Indian Youth should consider joining politics and running for different roles such as the governor, bureaucrats, Home minister, and even Prime minister. Youth have the advantage of being a young mind and more connected to today's generation. A youth running the country will help in solving the problems that other Youth faces every day.

Youth has the ability to face any issue and solve it. There has been a rise in the cases of Racism and Islamophobia all across the world. Instead of focusing on important topics such as unemployment, poverty, and corruption, the Youth in our country is divided into a few not-so-important topics. This is because the majority of the Youth has been influenced t=by greedy political leaders who think all about themselves. This is why we need the Youth to be part of politics. Imagine a youth leader who unites every fellow Youth to focus and fight for what will matter for the future, and our country would be great.

To conclude, the Youth has the power to build a nation that will only help in its development. To do so, the Youth of our country should be supported by friends and family members. The Youth should be supported to pursue careers in various fields such as cinema, arts, and politics. The support which everyone will give today to the Youth will help in making our country great in the future. The important role of the youth in nation-building has been discussed here, and students can take a cue for writing an essay on my role as a youth in nation-building.

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FAQs on Role of Youth in Nation Building Essay

1. Why is it important to build a nation?

A Nation is a group of people with a common language, beliefs, traditions and culture. Countries have been built from the basis of the shared interest, identity and aspirations of their people coming from different backgrounds. When you say you are Pakistani, Indian or American etc., what comes to your mind? Education, education and education. You have a common identity with all the people living in that particular country which is why you feel united in helping each other in times of need. A nation is a place where all the people live together with harmony and peace because they are united under one umbrella, which is the identity of that particular nation. Building a nation is important because a strong nation can only lead to a stronger economy, which in turn will bring about positive changes for the people living in that country and make their lives easier.

2. What are the traits of a good leader in nation building?

A good leader is a person who has vision and clarity about where he or she wants to take the country. He has complete knowledge about what needs to be done to achieve his goal, whether it's peaceful negotiations between countries at war or building roads within the country. He is a good motivator and knows how to bring out the best in people. He is honest and has high moral values. Last but not least, he is a true leader who can lead from the front and guide others to work for the common good. If a nation has a good leader, it can be possible to bring positive changes in every sector and make the country a better place to live in. With the help of a good leader, a nation can be built in a better way. A good leader can change the destiny of a nation.

3. What are the responsibilities of the youth in nation-building?

Youth has the responsibility to do their bit for nation-building, along with the common people like students, workers etc. Youth should make decisions after much thought and consideration because they hold the future of our generation in their hands. They should work together with all sections of society to bring about positive change in the country. They should also be involved in activities that promote national unity and solidarity. Youth should focus on their education and build a bright future for themselves and their country. They should join the army, civil services, police etc., to serve the nation in their respective capacities. The Youth play a very important role in Nation Building. They are the future of our country, and it is very important to groom them to become good leaders. Youth should be encouraged to take up sports and social work to strengthen our society. If a country has a responsible youth, then that Youth will definitely lead the country to a better future.

4. How can the youth be more involved in nation-building?

The Youth should take up jobs that benefit society. They can join the army, police or civil services to serve our nation. The Youth are our future and should be encouraged to take up sports and social work. Our Youth need to be educated because we cannot progress without them. We all must encourage our Youth to take part in nation-building activities so that together we can create a better future for everyone. With the help of our Youth, many problems can be solved. They should stop taking drugs and other harmful substances. Volunteering for community support activities is a very good way to give back to society while helping our Youth grow stronger in their personal life, health and well-being. If our Youth takes part in nation-building activities, then definitely our nation will be built in a better way.

5. What is the role of women in nation-building?

Women play a very important role in nation-building because they keep the family unit intact and pass on values to the young children. They must not neglect their household work and try to give equal importance to their traditional role while also training themselves to be good citizens. Women should strive for a healthy environment in society and join groups that work to bring about positive changes in their community. They can also involve themselves in nation-building activities like blood donation camps, tree plantation drives etc. There are many jobs women can take up, such as becoming police officers, nurses etc., to serve our nation. The role of Youth in Nation Building is very vital. A responsible youth can definitely lead the country to a better future. Youth should be encouraged to take up jobs that benefit society. Women contribute to nation-building in many ways like working with police, forest department etc. Women play a very important role in nation-building. Nowadays, women are given more freedom, and they play a vital role in society. Women involve themselves in nation-building activities like blood donation camps, tree plantation drives etc. women are taking up jobs in many fields like policewomen, nurses etc. So, women definitely play a very important role in nation-building, and they should be given more opportunities to serve our nation.

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Essay on Role of Youth in Modern India

Students are often asked to write an essay on Role of Youth in Modern India in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Role of Youth in Modern India

The power of youth.

Youth are the backbone of any nation. In modern India, they play a crucial role in shaping the country’s future. They are the torchbearers of change and progress, brimming with innovative ideas.

Education and Development

The youth of India are actively participating in education. They are harnessing the power of technology to learn and grow, contributing to India’s development.

Political Participation

Youth are also becoming more politically active, voicing their opinions, and influencing policy-making. They are the driving force behind a more democratic India.

To conclude, the youth are the future of India. Their role in shaping a modern, progressive India cannot be overstated.

250 Words Essay on Role of Youth in Modern India

Introduction.

India, known for its rich culture and history, is now facing an era of change. At the heart of this transformation are the country’s youth, who make up a significant proportion of the population. Their role in shaping modern India is crucial.

The youth of India are the architects of tomorrow. They possess a dynamic spirit of innovation and disruption, which is crucial in a rapidly evolving world. As digital natives, they are at the forefront of technological advancements, driving India’s transition into a digital economy.

In the political sphere, the youth are not just spectators but active participants. They are increasingly involved in policy-making, leveraging social media platforms to voice their opinions and influence change. Their involvement is vital for a vibrant democracy.

Social Reformation

The youth are also pivotal in social reform. They challenge traditional norms and advocate for issues like gender equality, environmental sustainability, and human rights. Their progressive thinking fosters a culture of acceptance and inclusivity.

Challenges and the Way Forward

Despite their potential, the youth face several challenges such as unemployment and inadequate access to quality education. Addressing these issues requires concerted efforts from all stakeholders. Initiatives like skill development programs and educational reforms can equip the youth with the necessary tools to contribute effectively to the nation’s progress.

In conclusion, the youth are the torchbearers of change in modern India. Their energy, creativity, and resilience are invaluable assets in shaping a prosperous and inclusive future for the country.

500 Words Essay on Role of Youth in Modern India

The pivotal role of youth in modern india.

The youth of a nation are the torchbearers of its future, and this is particularly true for India, a country with more than 50% of its population under the age of 25. As India strides towards modernization, the role of its youth becomes increasingly significant.

Driving Economic Growth

India’s youth population is a potent economic force. The demographic dividend, a term coined to represent the economic potential of a young working-age population, is a key factor in India’s projected economic growth. The youth, with their innovative ideas, entrepreneurial spirit, and tech-savviness, are the driving force behind start-ups and technological advancements, propelling India towards becoming a digital and knowledge-based economy.

Promoting Social Change

The youth of India are not just economic contributors but social changemakers as well. They are at the forefront of social movements, advocating for equality, justice, and environmental sustainability. From participating in protests against social injustices to leading climate change initiatives, the youth are using their voices and digital platforms to effect meaningful social change.

Shaping the Political Landscape

The youth’s role in politics is also crucial. They are the new-age voters who can influence policies and the political landscape of the country. Their active participation in politics, either as voters or as leaders, can bring fresh perspectives and progressive ideologies, leading to more inclusive and future-oriented policies.

Nurturing Cultural Evolution

Cultural evolution is another arena where the youth play a key role. They are the custodians of India’s rich cultural heritage and are instrumental in its preservation. At the same time, they are also agents of cultural evolution, blending tradition with modernity and creating a unique cultural identity that reflects the diverse and dynamic spirit of modern India.

Challenges and Opportunities

Despite their potential, the youth of India face numerous challenges, including unemployment, inadequate educational opportunities, and mental health issues. Addressing these challenges is crucial for harnessing the full potential of India’s youth. This requires comprehensive policies and initiatives that focus on education, skill development, job creation, and mental health support.

In conclusion, the role of youth in modern India is multifaceted and crucial. They are the driving force behind economic growth, social change, political transformation, and cultural evolution. The challenges they face are significant, but with the right support and opportunities, they have the potential to shape a brighter and more progressive future for India. Their energy, creativity, and resilience make them not just the future leaders of the nation, but also its present-day architects.

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