Morung Express News
Dimapur | December 9
The Asia Pacific Youth Hoho 2012 currently underway at the Shalom Bible Seminary, Sechu-Zubza, Nagaland saw keen participation from youths representing different countries and cutting across ethnicity, religion and culture. On Saturday, the Plenary 1 session was addressed by Father Abraham Lotha, Principal St Joseph College, Jakhama. He spoke on the topic ‘Cultural Foundation of a Generation with Responsibility’.
Father Abraham mentioned that there are values in every culture that help one to be a responsible youth in their society. Citing a Lotha saying that it is only in death that a human being’s creation is completed, “each individual is responsible for what they become at the end of their life”. “No matter who a person is, each individual is responsible for this world”, he said and emphasized that an individual should not value things in their life but value who they have in their life.
Later during the session ‘Action North East’, Morung Express Editor Along Longkumer addressed the participants about the question of change and responsibility and gave vital inputs on how young people in particular can be equipped to take initiatives for change. The Editor described change and responsibility as powerful ideas and something that was vital for reform of government systems, restoration of human values or for transformation of the self. Yet people fail to act on these ideas, he said.
The Editor made reference about the initiative made about ten years ago when the government of Nagaland came out with a policy booklet titled Vision Nagaland: Towards Positive Changes. Some of the important vision goals articulated in the document included improving the Human Development Index such as quality education and access to health care; respect for rule of law; promotion of accountable, efficient and transparent governance system. Saying that it was very easy to write about change but difficult to act on it and take forward the change agenda as experienced in Nagaland.
Encouraging young people to start taking responsibility, the Editor asked them not to wait for the government because they may never ever come around doing it and neither to wait for the elders or leaders because by then it will be too late.
Making a connection with the theme A Generation with Responsibility, the Editor called for developing the idea and concept of a good citizen. He also spoke about being “people with integrity” who would tell the truth and keep their word; people who will take responsibility for past actions, admit mistakes and fix them.
Pointing out that we have become a society that clamors only about rights, the Editor suggested to the conference to come out with a Charter of Duty addressing some of the common concerns around us. He also said that participants from Nagaland can also come out with a separate list since we have some unique concerns before us such as tribalism, groupism, extortion, factionalism, lawlessness, land encroachment, poor wok ethics, an indolent public etc. He said that having such a Charter of Duty would act as a moral guide.
Well known social and peace activist Niketu Iralu, who is also member of Initiatives of Change International, also spoke on the occasion besides moderating the session. An interaction question and answer session followed. Among those who were present included Vijitha Yapa, who was the founder Editor of The Island of Colombo, Ren-Jou Liu, from Taiwan, the pioneer of Clean Election campaign in Taiwan which he was invited to facilitate in Kenya and Brazil later and Dr Arkotong Longkumer, Assistant Professor at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Meanwhile on Sunday, the second plenary session was taken up by Liu Renjou from Taiwan, the initiator of the Asia Pacific Youth Conference, and the initiator of the Clean Election Campaign that was started in Taiwan in 1992 which spread to other parts of the world. He shared that his main focus is on family because family is the most important foundation of a society and a country at large.
Stating that marriage has the answer to every culture and situations in the world he mentioned that family and marriage is a creation of God meant for every person to learn and grow. If the spirit of learning and growing in a family is inculcated, difficulties will turn into opportunities. Therefore, to be a complete real person, man need to learn and grow all the time until the last day of one’s life and that it is important to grow into maturity through the family system.
In the second session, youth leaders from Australia, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, and India shared about their action plans and work in their respective countries.
