Youth Empowerment: An Introduction
Published on
Story by
alberto nardelli
At times “adults are children that have expired”. This dossier if basically an invitation not to stop dreaming.
In his novel Amore mio infinito, Aldo Nove, sustains that at times “adults are children that have expired”. At which point of ones’ life is that expiry date?
There is a point in the cycle of life where youth stop dreaming, they stop believing that great ideals are reachable, they begin to believe that emotions are vague and that a better world is a bit like peter pans’ Never Never Land, the reign of imagination.
This dossier if basically an invitation not to stop dreaming. Egdar Poe writes: "Who dreams during the day knows far more than he who dreams only during the night”. We don’t want dreams to end with the rising of the sun each morning and whish to find synergies and alliances with the senior world inviting them to find the courage to risk a better world. The greatness of this challenge is in the hands of youth and for this, apparently simple, reason the empowerment of the young is so important.
A few weeks ago I was asked how is student life in my country; I believe that the answer to this question is: it depends on you.
One can pass his existance in front of a television waiting for his licence to dream to expire or one can decide to do something. This dossier is an invitation to do something.
Through it youth organizations can give voice to their ideas, allow their minds to speak, implement alliances and above all find paths to dialogue with the senior world convincing them to collaborate. Our goal is to convince organizations, institutions, individuals through strong points that a better globe is possible and not just an ideal to contemplate in the horizon or an illusion. Convince these people that together something can change, can be done and that the wondurful sensations, principles and thoughts that they once believed in are implementable. If one believes in something or feels something that he believes in just inside of himeself then this thing is worth living. We need to have the courage to risk happiness.
The possibility, the need and the greatness of doing this leads to youth empowerment and the necessity to provide youth organizations with a platform on which to work, dialogue, find synergies and implement their ideals through actions. This is what this dossier whises to be.
A train towards a more human globe can take off and everbody is invited to jump on. The day that each human being, at any age, shall ask himself if life is all here he’ll discover that the answer is always yes. This is why it’s worth trying, live emotions in a full and true way without being afraid of risking a better world in the name of materialism, superficial values and cynical believes exchanging security with hapiness each day of ones’ life. Persuading people to try is our challenge as youth leaders.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez teaches us that we don’t stop loving because we become old but, become old when we stop loving. Youth have this challenge in front of them, stop people from not loving, from not dreaming and their empowerment is in this optic necessary if it’s to become a voice that is to be heard.