{"id":27548,"date":"2025-07-17T03:05:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T19:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rakansarawak.com\/v3\/?p=27548"},"modified":"2025-07-15T13:06:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T05:06:10","slug":"shaping-the-future-of-a-nation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rakansarawak.com\/v3\/2025\/07\/17\/shaping-the-future-of-a-nation\/","title":{"rendered":"Shaping The Future Of A Nation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A Dynamic And Positive Force In Shaping The Future Of A Nation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Young people are the foundation that connects the past and present. Every society’s optimism and future are symbolized by its youth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The importance of this demographic group in a country’s overall socioeconomic and political development cannot be overstated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The youth bulge nearly 50% of the developing world population is youth and children[1]<\/a>. There are 1.2 billion 15- to 24-year-olds in the world and one billion live in developing countries[2]<\/a>. This is often referred to as the \u2018youth bulge\u2019[3]<\/a>, as young people constitute a high and peaking proportion of many populations. The youth bulge represents both a challenge and an opportunity for development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Malaysia there are approximately nine (9 million youth[4]<\/a> and it constitute roughly 26% of the total population and they are the most vital part of our nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Youth participation in development has several benefits, including strengthening their ability to meet their own subsistence needs, reducing vulnerabilities to economic, political, and social instability, promoting ownership and sustainability of interventions, and facilitating entry into target communities and building trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defining Youth<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For statistical purposes, the UN defines youth as individuals between the ages of 15 and 24, whereas Malaysia defines youth as individuals between the ages of 15 and 40.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Youth do not constitute a homogeneous group; their socio-economic, demographic, and geographical situations vary widely both within and between regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notwithstanding these differences, regional-level analysis provides a general understanding of their development profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Empower Youth to Participate in Nation Building<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan once was quoted saying “you are never too young to lead and never too old to learn.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This quote referring to leadership potential exists in individuals regardless of their age and encourages young people to embrace opportunities for leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A single person, even if young or inexperienced, can become a powerful catalyst for change and a leader in his or her community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The youths are a most strong, self-confident, creative, and productive guiding force of any nation. They are often the ones who renew the conscience of a nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young people also have a unique contribution to make to national development due to their energy, enthusiasm, resilience, and an ability to inject fresh vigour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given an enabling environment, young women and men are both willing and able to take responsibility for their lives and contribute positively to society in which they live. So, youth empowerment is vital for national development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYoung people are empowered when they acknowledge that they have or can create choices in life, are aware of the implications of those choices, make an informed decision freely, take actions based on that decision and accept responsibility for the consequences of that action. Empowering young people means creating and supporting the enabling conditions under which young people can act on their own behalf, and on their own terms, rather than at the direction of others.\u201d (Commonwealth Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment: 2007 \u2013 2015, Commonwealth Secretariat, London)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The concept of youth empowerment pounces from the need to enable young people to have a say in decisions which affect them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The key stakeholders in youth empowerment are governments, inter-governmental and civil society organisations, the media, educational institutions, the private sector, family, kinship and community networks, non-government organisations (NGO) and, above all, young people themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The media occasionally publishes news on negative depictions of young people. However, they do not represent the entire young community. Only a small number of youths engage in antisocial actions or partisan student politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is true that the youth chapter of human life is a time of exploration and experimentation \u2013 a time of opportunity and a time of risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, youth is a force for change and a resource for a country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They have the potential to become a dynamic and positive force in shaping the future of a nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

[1]<\/a> World Bank 2010<\/sub><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[2]<\/a> 2005 figures, UN Population Division, World Population Prospects, 2008 Revision<\/sub><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[3]<\/a> Research undertaken by Henrick Urdal at the Uppsala Conflict Data Program, Uppsala University, 2007: high youth bulges indicate countries \u2018at risk\u2019 when combined with economic stresses, but they are not necessarily a predictor of conflict<\/sub><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[4]<\/a> Facts And Figures Malaysia Youth Index 2020, Institute for Youth Research Malaysia (IYRES) 2021.<\/sub><\/p>\n

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