Young people are an invaluable human resource, and every effort must be made to nurture them into patriotic citizens who will contribute to the nation and promote their all-round development in the five strengths. Today’s youth must be educated, trained, and nurtured so that they become a dependable force upon which the nation can rely for its future.
This year’s International Youth Day takes on added significance as it coincides with the upcoming 30th anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth. It remains a guiding framework for recognizing youth as key actors in sustainable development and participatory governance in accord with this year’s theme “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations”. Governments worldwide provide spaces for young people in innovation, mentorship, and civic engagement to accelerate SDG implementation but also nurture future community leaders and changemakers.
Based on the 2024 Population and Housing Census, Myanmar has approximately 17 million young people, accounting for 32.69 per cent of the total population. Despite this favourable demographic advantage, the high school dropout rate among young people has led to shortcomings in education, including limited access to higher education, inadequate vocational training, and insufficient digital literacy and technological skills.
These shortcomings have resulted in a range of economic and social challenges. Economically, they include limited access to secure employment, the fact that many young people work in the informal sector without regular wages, a mismatch between formal education and labour market demands, and a weak ecosystem for entrepreneurship and innovation. Socially, young people are facing challenges such as drug abuse, online gambling, terrorism and criminal activities, as well as mental health issues.
At present, young people have relatively low levels of civic engagement in national defence and nation-building activities. Although many participate in charitable and volunteer work with genuine goodwill, their efforts often lack systematic organization and coordination. As a result, the nation is also facing challenges in fostering national spirit and patriotism. Therefore, it is essential to strengthen young people’s capabilities and morale in all aspects. To this end, priority must be given to promoting the all-round development of the five strengths among young people, beginning at the school level.
Young people must be trained to work collaboratively with organizations and groups rather than standing alone. As a vision for the development of the youth sector, the motto “Empowered Youth, Strong Nation, Shared Future” has been adopted. A national youth development policy framework will be formulated, and strategies, as well as short-term and long-term plans, will be developed and implemented accordingly.