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| Thursday, 29 July 2004 |
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Govt moots National Youth Plan The Government is to implement a National Youth Plan (NYP) from January next year which will officially spell out the nation's duties and responsibilities towards hopes and aspirations of the youth. The Youth Affairs Ministry has completed several initiatives to formulate this NYP which will be a guideline for youth development, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Jeevan Kumaratunga told the Daily News yesterday. The Ministry hopes to present the NYP Bill in Parliament before January. The NYP will cater to the near 35 per cent youth population to uplift their creative talents in cultural and sports sectors. It will give priority to ideas and suggestions of youth. The Ministry will launch its future programs based on the needs of youth as spelt out in this policy, he said. The NYP is one of the key pledges of the United People's Freedom Alliance in its election campaign. The formulation of a viable youth policy clearly indicates the priority given by the Government to issues affecting the youth, the Minister said. A committee has been appointed for drafting the NYP. After the formulation of the NYP, the Ministry hopes to launch public discussions throughout the country to obtain the views and ideas of the people for incorporation into the final draft. He said the NYP will guide Lankan society to recognise the capabilities and aspirations of the nation's youth, facilitating an environment to overcome the constraints they face. The Minister said a discussion was held on July 20 to discuss ways and means of implementing of the Youth Plan to cater to youth needs in a more productive manner. The Ministry will obtain views of youth clubs countrywide to formulate the NYP and forge a close rapport with them to implement it. Initiatives were also taken to decide on the youth development programmes to be implemented by the Ministry and the National Youth Services Council (NYSC) within the next six months. The Ministry plans to implement a series of programmes for youth development within these six months, he said. He said during the past two years, the functions of the NYSC which came under the Ministry had been at a complete standstill. It was on the verge of closure. The Ministry has taken immediate measures to overcome this. The Ministry has taken steps to develop the Belwood Institute of Aesthetic Studies which is also in a state of decline and commence several vocational training courses for youth at NYSC training centres. |
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