International Youth Day
"We
cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for
the future.” ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt
International Youth Day (IYD) is obeyed annually on 12 August predominantly to remind us the worth of youth and importance of their participation in making this world 'a better place to live.' Besides, it draws and focuses our attention on exigent youth related issues for the overall betterment of youth in all the departments of life.
On this day the nations across the globe celebrate it in much enthusiastic and challenging ways keeping in mind that, "He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future," as said by Adolf Hitler.
As aforementioned by John F. Kennedy, "The future promise of any nation can be directly measured by the present prospects of its youth," youth are architect of the world who shape and design the future. Youth are the basic foundation if, for a building. Youth are the engine if, for a machine. Youth are the nutrients if, for a plant. Youth are the organs if, for a body. Youth are the soul if, for a life and youth are the key, if for a lock to unlock the door of future. They have become the wheel of necessity to take us to the pearly gates. Therefore we need to give them to get back.
On this day the nations across the globe celebrate it in much enthusiastic and challenging ways keeping in mind that, "He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future," as said by Adolf Hitler.
As aforementioned by John F. Kennedy, "The future promise of any nation can be directly measured by the present prospects of its youth," youth are architect of the world who shape and design the future. Youth are the basic foundation if, for a building. Youth are the engine if, for a machine. Youth are the nutrients if, for a plant. Youth are the organs if, for a body. Youth are the soul if, for a life and youth are the key, if for a lock to unlock the door of future. They have become the wheel of necessity to take us to the pearly gates. Therefore we need to give them to get back.
The 2013's theme for IYD was: Youth Migration: Moving Forward Development. This year's theme for the International Youth Day is "YOUTH and MENTAL HEALTH" in which its meaning can be broadened and derived from the combination of these two aphorisms; Buddha's words, "It is your mind that creates the world" and Aneta Cruz's words, "Your mind is your greatest power, use it well."
As quoth by Ayn Rand, "We are born unarmed. Our mind is our only weapon," we have nothing apart from this little mind that can create everything. We have either everything or nothing depending upon the application and consumption of our own mind. The more we use our mind brilliantly and beautifully the wiser we become, on the other hand the more dully and unthinkingly we use it the worse we become. That's why some become geniuses and get into greatness while others keep decreasing hopelessly, though we have been given equal rights and opportunities.
To prepare our youth for the future first we need to prepare their mind as mind is the only place where we can enrich them with, 'a-better-place-to-live' values and the fact is if this is done automatically the work will be done. So this year's theme is the theme of themes, this is what I all believe because youth and mental health, they are just like bosom friend to each other. Besides, 2014's theme will be the lifeblood of all bygone themes and future upcoming themes.
If we browse through the pages and chapters of history we will discover that physical/military force was far much greater than the mental force, the one who had more physical power or properties won the game and the one who was weak was defeated. But in today's world we need no more those who are physically strong but we are in a great yearning for mentally healthy youth because, "Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will," as cited by Mahatma Gandhi.The main difference between physical and mental power is each one's ability to perish and cherish, respectively. Physical power is mortal as its end is definite, unlike physical power, mental power is immortal as it can never come to an end. It lives eternally with us as long as we nourish it.
Today, as the world busily move forward, we are unknowingly leaving behind those invaluable values and wise wisdom which must be compulsorily infused in our youth to face the future and to fine-tune the journey of this beautiful world. In kindergartens, we are taught how to write alphabets and to mix them to yield words or sentences. In primary, schools, we are taught reading books and writing articles. In secondary schools, we are introduced to the world of sciences and other studies. In higher schools, we busy ourselves in getting along with the world of science and technology. In colleges, we specialize ourselves in various fields and finally we become the architect of our own dreams. With much desires and dreams in us we pursue masters or PhD.
But do we ever get to learn about the power and mystery of our mind. Do we ever get to learn about empathy, benevolence, kindness, perseverance, determination, respect, discipline, punctuality, sincerity, honesty and so on and so forth. Today we know much about about how water is formed after combination of oxygen and hydrogen. We know about Albert Einstein's famous equation mass-energy equivalence that tells us that mass and energy are two forms of the same thing. We know more about Newton's gravitational laws and Pythagoras' theorem. We know about computers and its applications. We know about filming movies. We know about Edison's invention of motion picture and the electric light bulb. And all we know. But do we know about benevolence to others in needy times, empathy to those homeless ones, kindness to animals, respect to our parents, discipline and honesty to self. We need to be faithful and question ourselves whether we truly benefit to ourselves and to others. Then only we will realise how closer we are moving to our real purpose of life.
Now it is enough with all mathematics, physics, english, economics, accountancy and history lessons. Now we need to teach our youth how to strive to make this world a better place where respect and discipline can have their full time engagement in all the hearts and where empathy and sympathy can spread to the length and breadth of the everyone's soul. We need to reveal to our youth that only kindness and benevolence can yield true happiness. We need to train their minds to be sincere and faithful. We need to teach them punctuality and honesty. We got to take them to pick up the rubbish and dump them in right place. We must explain them about planting saplings and conserving nature. We need to teach them moral values and good things.
Youth become what we nourish them with because the flowers blossom in presence of sun. As said by C.S Lewis, "Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil," it is not too late to guide our youth and teach them the values and ethics which in combination with education will truly bring real happiness, otherwise our youth will turn into more clever devil and bring total destruction in future. We need to cooperate and operate our ideas and strategies.
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