SI MONTHLY NEWS DECEMBER 2005 Youth
From SI Exco News
Youth
What is Youth?
Hello everyone, it´s Pablo here.
The definition of “YOUTH” is a big topic. Who is
and who isn´t? Depends on the age, the spirit or the
spot on the family? As always the discussions are
interesting and at some point endless. We do not
need to define a fixed and rigid concept of YOUTH.
We can create an open idea with different positions
and different points of view. We are Servas, we are
multicultural and we can live with the others
differences. I asked a few friends to help me this
time. Dear friends. All of them are Servas members
and we share some mails to discuss about a
SERVAS YOUTH DEFINITION.
Diane – SINGAPORE –
Being young...staying young...thinking young!
The secret is to "Be alive while you are alive!".
People who are young "by number," meaning by
merely consulting documented age, usually
appreciate people "in the higher numbers" who
listen without criticism and who participate with
enthusiasm. Today's youth hope today's elders will
share their perspective in a positive and helpful
manner. Helping each other. Servas must
continue to facilitate opportunities for that to
happen. Young people must be encouraged
to attend our meetings and be given as much
responsibility as possible to participate. Through
projects that focus on sharing, helping, making the
world a better place, we should be able to maximize
the tremendous potential of the "young by
number" who are within Servas's reach and
encourage them to share their strengths.
The Youth Program has begun on a wonderful step
in that direction. It has begun to erase the
distinctions between "we and they" which so
frequently pose a threat to real communication.
And so it is with Servas....we have tried to give up
those distinctions and look at everyone as We.
Ojala!
Vipul – INDIA –
Youth doesn’t have specific meaning, but
commonly, a youth is defined as being somewhere
between age 12 to 25. As Youth is harvested at an
early stage of development; it’s early time of life,
and metaphorically the optimism and innocence
thought accompany it. The nature of youthful
experience is greatly affected by cultural and
economic norms. The passage from youth to
adulthood is frequently acknowledged by ritual
formalities.
Life construction has just started. As in Earlier stage
of construction should provide all the necessary
material to make a stronger base of life. Same as
also young people looking for superior material as
literacy skills, diversity knowledge, strong base,
which is not only enough to get from schools or
parents, for that Young people also join
International Organizations, which gives diversity,
global skills and large-scale awareness.
Servas is a powerful organization in sense of
giving worldwide hosts. But to be very frank what
we have Youth member in Servas they all are
members because their parents are members.
In Servas to attract Youth we should make some
new features. 1st we need proper guide to
students for the Servas vision, Servas goal,
International Benefits of Servas, big Learning
network.
But for this we need the support of the senior
members.
Cassandra – NEW ZEALAND –
Youth is a state of mind.
It is a mad passion for life, a belief that you can
do anything, be anyone, love everyone.
As the years progress and we strike difficult times
we often lose sight of our “youthful innocence”,
our belief that the world is good, that we, as
individuals, can really make a difference.
In Servas, youth is who we are. We believe in the
goodness of humankind, in the love shared
between strangers, in the possibility of a global
and enduring peace between men. Regardless of
the number of years we have lived we, as Servas
people, are youthful people.
Through the Servas YOUTH arm we should
encourage a new generation to hold tight to their
idealism, passion, spirit and love of mankind, and
help those that had once lost it to rediscover the
youth inside of them.
Let us love each other like children do – fully, honestly, without fear.
Pablo – ARGENTINA –
I reserved for me the closing. As you know I work
with YOUTH. Actually my currently job is on the
design of programs for youth in social risk in my
country for the local government. I must say that
the YOUTH as concept is massive. But we can
define some lines. A young person sees life
with a long future to came, sees that the future is
absolutely bigger than the past. Also
characteristic of the youth is the position in front
the new, something new is not something weird, it
is something to learn, to discover.
Defining Youth only by the age is not enough,
and we all agree with that. Someone young is
some one that still needs to grow up. Still needs to
learn. But who does not?
It will depend how we measure the youth. That
who is not married. That who is still studying. That
who is not yet owner of the house where living.
That who is still looking for a good job. That who is
good looking and attractive. The social landscape
show us that is not possible cut out any group and
say: This is the youth, depends where and on what
we focus.
For Servas, as organisation, the youth has a huge
potential and a key roll to play. Any Servas
traveller is young by definition, we feel young,
never mind what the rest say. Work on programs
to develop the position of the travellers, hosts and
Servas volunteers that are under 30 will give us a
new generation of Servas commitments, members
and a renovation of our energy.
SERVAS YOUTH is trying to combine and
intensify the potential of Servas as a human world
wide network with the needs and possibilities that
the population under 30 offers to our organisation.
The idea that the youth is a poor member of our
family that we must help is a mistake. We need
each other. Some programs are already on and
more will come.
Programs develop not only our organisation, but to
make a better world for us. That is the Servas goal
at the end. Like a kid wants to change the world.
Make the difference. Count. We have the chance
to do it, we will, as we are so young.
Pablo Chufeni, International Youth Coordinator
inserted by Amelia
