The Role of Youth in Peace and Community

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Nailah Wadud Khan ia 3rd year student of Bangladesh Medical College, Dhaka. He is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

It is seen in most societies that has to grow out of their youth and reach the age of maturity before they are trusted to take personal and civil matters into their own hands. The notion that children are reckless and irresponsible leave them on the outskirts of society as a large until they are old enough to enter the ‘real’ world. However, the part that our youth can play in making meaningful contributions to the community should not be overlooked, but highlighted.

In 2015, the importance of engaging young women and men in shaping lasting peace was recognized by the Security Council in a ground breaking resolution on Youth, Peace and Security.  Resolution 2250 urges Member States to incorporate young people into institutions and mechanisms for the prevention and resolution of conflict and for countering violent extremism. They must be nurtured and encouraged to play a more active part in the world that they will be a part of to carry the torch of humanity forwards.

Being termed as ‘The Hyper-Aware Generation’, kids nowadays have unlimited news and information at the tips of their fingers and are more aware about their world than any generation of children that came before. It is because of this that we have seen a rise in youth participation on all levels of society, particularly on the stage of world politics and economies. Where troops of young people use their voice and passion to protest against crimes to humanity and justice.

From a younger age, children should be guided on good values, morals and ethics so that they grow up to be citizens who wish to give back to the community and people. Engaging young people in programs of leadership development, social communication, advocacy projects helps instill in them the qualities necessary to make decisions to choose peace and patience instead of resorting to violence. Global Youth Action Network (GYAN), World Youth Alliance, and the UNESCO Global Youth Community (GYC) are few of the many organizations dedicated to this cause.

The youth are a mirror of their community thus they should play a more active part in the world that they are becoming a part of. The increasing popularity of youth-led protests, social movements, positive influencers and change makers is a sign that the youth want to be in charge of the world they are a part of and they are a force to be reckoned with. It is the duty of the parents and elders of a community to foster a safe space for the children where they felt seen, heard, empowered and in control of their surroundings, to unmask each individual’s potential as a mark of positivity in the society.

About the author

Nailah Wadud Khan is a 3rd year student of Bangladesh Medical College, Dhaka. She’s currently serving as the Local Committee of SCOPH in BMSS Bangladesh. Despite her spontaneity and fun-loving nature, her ultimate aim is to maintain discipline and uphold propriety in all her actions, which enables her to attain perfection. She is deeply devoted to public health and desires to infuse her sudden surge of ideas into bringing about revolutionary transformations in global healthcare. We hope that she will succeed and be fortunate in every endeavor that she undertakes as she is continually prepared to embrace new challenges.!