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Are
our voices heard? International pressure on youth development programmes motivates local governments to draft resolutions that contain clauses to help the young people to work with the challenges they face and build their lives with development initiative. Many diplomatic resolutions are discussed, debated in higher ministerial level and passed. Yet do young people have a right to say what they mean? Can they change the circumstances they find themselves in? Dinali* (18) says that the young people don’t have a voice in this society. “We don’t have the freedom to decide and our views are not taken into consideration. Who cares what young people think?” she asks, adding, “Society may consider certain views if the majority of us are willing to raise the point.” Pamodi (21) says, “I don’t think that youngsters have much of a voice. We are told that we have a place in society, but our opinions are not taken into consideration in decision making. Our culture is such that adults are the decision makers. Now it’s changing a bit, but it’s not enough.” Twenty-one-year-old Shafani* thinks that young people do have a voice, but not to the desired level. “When we consider job opportunities, it’s mostly given to those who have much experience, especially in the management area. Although, most of the young people start as sales executives, they will have to hang out there for some time, to get a better post, even when the youngsters are ambitious. She added that when the young people propose a suggestion to the elders most often it’d go as ‘kid’s say’. Lakshmi* (19) says, “When considering education, both girls and boys do get an equal voice. Nowadays girls have more voice in education than boys in high school and university level. But when we consider beyond that, girls are often married and settled.” Krishna (20) says that being young doesn’t mean they are immature. “Young people do have a voice and elders must respect that.” Twenty-two-year-old Vimukthi* says that to ensure the voice of youth in the society adults should listen to the young people and young people should also approach adults. “It’s a two- way process,” he says. Family is the core unit of any society. In other words, society starts with a family. Thus the voice of young people are often heard within the family in their primary stages. Speaking to young people from different family background, many said that all depends on different parents and the community they live in and of course the age of the young people is a deciding factor on how much they actually can stand on their own two feet. Shane* (23) says that he does have a voice at home. “I feel very comfortable at home now than any other time in my life. Earlier, I used to demand things I wanted from my parents, and when they refused, I got really mad. But now I feel that they are reasonable. Maybe it takes time for us to mature and actually understand that our voices were actually heard at home and in society as well.” Savinthri* (25), an accountant in a leading company says that being a girl often leads to tight situations when deciding on issues concerning her life independently, in this society. Yet she says that with the support from her family she did what she though was best for her life. Sara* (20) says more than the parents, it is the society which we live in that decides how much of a voice young people are granted. “In my community, young people are considered to be very naïve and most of the decisions are taken by the adults in the family. This creates tension within families as well.” “It’s true that young people are not participating fully in decision making processes,” admits Dr. Harish Yakandawala, Programme Officer of Adolescence and HIV AIDS at UNICEF, Sri Lanka, adding, “Most of the decisions are taken by adults, without any consultation with young people, whether it’s at home or at school. This is very frustrating for them. However, UNICEF makes sure that young people get involved in programme planning on the issues concerning them.” Dr. Yakandawala says that our culture prevents young people from talking about the issues concerning them. “It’s always adults taking decisions on behalf of children. But if young people need to raise the issues concerning them, they should speak.” Being able to raise our voice on the issues that concern us need to be addressed with diplomacy. Voice of young people, expressed with responsibility and the acceptance of that voice should go hand in hand. But everything starts just by… Speaking!! (*Names have been changed) |
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