Wednesday, January 25, 2012
The two-day symposium under the theme of "Ambitious Youth" or Belia Berjiwa Besar was attended by some 180 people aged 18-to 30-years-old comprising students, representatives of youth and sports associations, officers at the government institutions and non-governmental organisations.
Discussions among groups of youths revolved around the topic of their role in the nation's socio-economic development, with emphasis on issues regarding education and skills development, voluntary work and competitiveness, among others.
In the meeting, they highlighted issues on identity, vision, capacity building, and so on. They also talked about how the younger generation should be proactive, resourceful and innovative.
Others also highlighted the feeling of emphatiy for others, having the spirit of competitiveness and understanding technology. The participants were also reminded on the issues of voluntary work and the importance of religion.
The facilitator stressed the need on youth participation in the decision-making process when a policy is being introduced by the relevant stakeholders. Among other avenues that can be used for youths to be involved in policy-making are through forum discussions and community outreach projects.
One of the participants, Hj Ahmad Hamiz Hj Jaman, 19, who is majoring in Business at Universiti Brunei Darussalam, said that youths should be engaging in the socio-economic development in the country as they will be the future leaders of Brunei.
"We have to play our parts as there are many areas that we can contribute to," said Hj Ahmad, adding that young people can help promote Small Medium Enterprises by having their own businesses, developing the agriculture sector and conducting voluntary work. The symposium continues today.
The Brunei Times
SALLY PIRI
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
