Our time to wake up and do our duty to our country is now. The future of our nation lies in our hands.
The quality of our youth determines the kind of future our nation will have. If we want to ensure the bright future of our country, we must strengthen and empower ourselves, as young people, with knowledge and wisdom. We are the energy of our country and our community. We are the power of this country and the pride of our nation. It is us who will bring change and stability to our country.
We have lost many young heroes and heroines, who left their marks on the journey of struggle that led our nation to independence. I owe my respects to the young people of the previous generation, who gave everything, even their lives, for the freedom of our motherland. We will never forget the great sacrifices of Dr John Garang, William Nyuon, Samuel Gai, Kerbino Kuanyin, and the other brave men and women who surrendered everything for the benefit of our country.
As young people, if we can leave our differences behind and help our country to thrive, our nation can reach new heights. All we need is to direct our energy constructively, working towards development and progress for our country. Our creativity, potential, zeal, enthusiasm, energy, and versatility can work wonders for our country.
Our leaders must empower young people to strive towards a better tomorrow. We need our leaders to provide quality education that helps us to become open minded, self-respecting, responsible, honest, and patriotic.
Unless harnessed in the right way, the energy of our youth can become destructive and dangerous for our society and country. Crime rates are high, and violence is increasing. Our youths are losing touch with their senses of the right and wrong, good and bad. This is because, as a nation, our leaders have failed in their duty to capture the energy of young people and mould it in the right direction.
Leaders have failed to help young people realise their dreams, and consequently, many young people have become lost. Young people have become uninspired and less likely to work towards their goals. Many of our community’s young people work overseas. Why not here? The answer lies in our lack of the opportunities that are plentiful in many other countries The loss is ours.
It's time for our leaders to act to prevent young people from leaving the country or giving into violence and terrorism. Leaders must provide opportunity, strength, and empowerment. Our leaders must focus on helping our youth to better our country. They must introduce policies aiming to increase youth representation in politics, giving a voice to our nation’s young people.
To Achieve Peace Among our Youth, We Need:
· Education for the poor
· Health assistance for the needy
· Provision of youth empowerment
· Encouragement of female education
· Ban or restructure of smoking regulations
· Good governance
I look forward to partnering with associations and organisations to achieve these goals and to maintain peace within our society.
Qualities of an Outstanding Young Person:
· Is hard working
· Stays away from violence
· Has faith in God
· Develops creative skill
· Has knowledge of right and wrong
· Engages in education
· Stays away from drugs and crime
· Helps the society and country
· Is a symbol of dignity to their society, family, and school
· Has a predictable character and sets a good example for others
Why Young People Often Die Without Achieving Their Dreams
I have come to realise that most young people of our generation don't put interest in working or learning. Instead, they become engaged in crime and cults, posing a threat to society. The result is that many young people are caught by law enforcement and are shot or burned to death.
We need to break this chain. Our young people pass through many battles and challenges, but they must be empowered to do and be good. The power to make the right decisions is in all of our hands.
Four Steps to Doing and Being Good as a Young Person:
· Study hard and read books
· Be careful of the company you keep
· Educate yourself.
· Believe in what you work for
In every game, the audience makes noise, not the players. Be a player. Do not fight. Believe in yourself and do your best.
The five competencies of a healthy youth:
· Positive sense of self
· Self-control
· Decision-making skills
· A moral system of beliefs
· Pro-social connectedness.
Self-Belief as Young People
Self-belief is the best encouragement you can give yourself and is vital in the life of every individual. It is what makes a person strong. When no one believes in you or encourages you to believe in yourself, you must become your own greatest supporter. If you believe in yourself, there are no limitations to what you can achieve.
How to Practice Self-Belief:
· Tell yourself positive things. Let positivity flow from within you;
· Tell yourself that you can make it to the top and work towards your goals;
· Never compare yourself to others. God made you unique;
· Stop limiting yourself;
· Stand strong and keep trying;
· Do not allow critics get to you.
The Holy Book says, ‘Pray until something happens.’ Continue to try and persevere, and if one way does not work, try another. You are who you choose to be. Self-belief will open up great opportunities in your life. You have the power to overcome. The size of your problem is nothing compared to your ability to solve it.