Ms Jayathma Wickramanayake, the United Nations envoy on youths says young people around th world are more of assets to a country rather than its problems.

 

Presenting the report on the findings of the independent progress study on “Youth, Peace and Security” to the United Nations Security Council, she identified exclusion of young people from political, civic and economic life as well as gross mistrust from young generations towards formal political institutions as the bane of the challenges being faced by youths across the world.

 

“I believe we can all agree that my generation represents promise – not peril. We should be seen as an asset, not a problem,” she emphasized.

 

Speaking further she said; “I will not ask you to let young people lead as they are already leading. But they need inclusive, safe spaces and enabling environments to succeed.

 

“Recognise their work, fund it, scale it up and protect it,” she said.

 

According to the findings of the study, Ms. Wickramanayake stated that only a small minority of youth ever engaged in violence while many were actively engaging in their own local initiatives to bring peace to their communities.

 

Photo Source: bartamaha.com