By Yin Nwe Ko
Today’s young people will become the leaders of tomorrow. They will shoulder responsibilities for their families, their communities, and their countries. Young people are the new generation that will carry the responsibility of building the future of their nations. At present, young people account for nearly half of the world’s population, and it is expected that their proportion will rise to 57 per cent of the global population by 2030.
International Youth Day is observed annually on 12 August. The occasion is held to draw the attention of countries around the world to young people, who will shape, create, and build the future of the world. The theme for International Youth Day 2026 is “Different Backgrounds, Shared Goals, Empowered Youth.”
The Strength of Youth
In Myanmar, International Youth Day is observed annually with the aim of encouraging greater participation by young people in community-based activities and national development programmes, increasing young people’s awareness of and participation in International Youth Day activities, and fulfilling the needs and aspirations of young people.
Internationally, people between the ages of 15 and 24 are generally defined as youth, while in Myanmar, people between the ages of 15 and 35 are regarded as young people.
According to global population statistics for 2025, young people account for 16 per cent of the world’s population. According to the 2024 Myanmar Census, Myanmar has approximately 17 million young people, representing 32.69 per cent of the total population. Compared with many other countries, Myanmar has a relatively large proportion of young people.
If these young people are properly educated, trained, and nurtured, they can become valuable human resources for national development. They can make a significant contribution to building a sustainable and continuously developing nation.
Promoting the Youth Sector
In Myanmar, efforts are being made to implement a comprehensive education system that is accessible to everyone, with the aim of improving knowledge and skills throughout the country and producing skilled professionals who can contribute to productivity and development.
Young people will be responsible for the country in the future. Therefore, nurturing them to become people with sound thinking, critical-thinking skills, and the ability to make good decisions will help build a brighter future for the nation.
In fact, educating and nurturing young people so that they possess not only academic excellence, intelligence, knowledge, and professional skills but also good health, determination, good character, morality, discipline, courtesy, and love for their country means laying a strong foundation for the future of the nation.
Young people need to be nurtured systematically so that they become confident, thoughtful, honest, upright, and capable individuals. Only by properly educating and training the younger generation can a country build a prosperous and developed future. The fundamental foundation of national development is an abundance of educated and skilled human resources.
Therefore, the government has placed special emphasis on young people and is making efforts to create better opportunities for their future. In order to systematically and effectively implement youth-related affairs and enable young people to become healthy, well-rounded citizens while pursuing education and participating in sports, the Ministry responsible for youth affairs has been established and is carrying out relevant programmes.
In particular, efforts are being made to promote the youth sector so that young people can become a major force in national development and become well-rounded citizens who possess the five strengths of physical, intellectual, moral, social, and economic development.
Development of the Five Strengths
In reality, the youth sector is one of the fundamental foundations of national development. Youth policies are being implemented to promote the development of the five strengths—physical, intellectual, moral, social, and economic—and to guide young people towards the right path so that they can become responsible citizens who contribute to the country.
To implement youth policies and carry out programmes for the comprehensive development of young people more effectively, the Myanmar National Youth Affairs Committee, the Myanmar Youth Affairs Working Committee, and youth affairs committees in Nay Pyi Taw, regions, and states have been established.
Young people are the owners of the future society and the resources that will create and build that future. In other words, they are the future leaders of the nation. Only through proper education, training, and nurturing of young people can a better future for the country be built.
A nation can be successfully developed only with young people who possess high morale, sound thinking, honesty, integrity, and comprehensive abilities. Therefore, young people need to be nurtured so that they develop the five strengths of physical, intellectual, moral, social, and economic well-being.
Furthermore, young people are invaluable human resources for the nation and constitute an important force in the national development process. The government has established policies, objectives, and programmes for the comprehensive development of young people. It is also making efforts to promote their physical fitness, mental strength, discipline, social responsibility, human values, and sense of national unity, while encouraging the development of the five strengths.
Systematic Nurturing of Youth
Young people possess qualities such as a love of truth, alertness, awareness, energy, curiosity, creativity, openness, courage, and a willingness to take risks. Therefore, these young people, who value truth, need to be systematically educated and nurtured so that their love and affection for their country and people can grow stronger, particularly their spirit of patriotism.
Young people also possess goals, hopes, aspirations, and the motivation necessary to pursue and achieve the destinations they desire in life.
Therefore, the government has been implementing various programmes to encourage young people to value themselves and to develop a spirit of love for and willingness to protect and safeguard their communities and nation. Every year during the summer school holidays, youth development programmes and youth camps are organized. Special attention is also given to youth development training programmes, including maritime and aviation youth training courses.
In fact, young people will become future national leaders, technological innovators, peacebuilders, entrepreneurs, workers contributing to development, and valuable human resources. Therefore, it is necessary to systematically educate and nurture young people so that they can become well-rounded and responsible citizens capable of shouldering the responsibilities of the country in the future.
Different Backgrounds, Shared Goals, Empowered Youth
Although young people may come from different regions and countries and have different ethnic backgrounds, religions, and cultures, the common goal of young people everywhere is to build a stable, peaceful, and prosperous society and a developed world.
Therefore, today’s youth already have an important role to play in shaping and building the future of the world.
In fact, although the new generation of young people may have different backgrounds, they can contribute to building a better world by cooperating with one another, showing compassion and mutual support, maintaining friendship and understanding, behaving with courtesy and kindness, and respecting one another.
If young people continue to develop their critical-thinking abilities, knowledge, wisdom, and determination, they can not only improve their own lives but also contribute to building a stable, peaceful, and prosperous world.
References: Yadanabon Daily, 12 September 2026
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