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THE TRIAD OF THE CHALLENGE OF YOUTH POWER, TECHNOLOGICAL POWER AND LIBERATION

BY:  Fr. Salvador Pablo (SBD), Rector, Don Bosco Technical College

Paper presented at Mini-conference on National Youth Service - Youth In National Development (circa 1996), Papua New Guinea

THE CHALLENGE OF YOUTH POWER

Youth is the key to a peaceful and prosperous PNG of Tomorrow, the Hope of the Fatherland.

Revolution of the Youth - (Swift, unpredictable, violent)

Youth Bolsheviks Revolution,

Young People's Power,

Beijing Student Revolution,

Boungainville War.

REVOLT OF THE YOUNG AT THE THRESHOLD OF FRUSTRATION :

Graffiti and Vandalism (Youth media power - propaganda machinery)

Rascalism and Gangs (Raw power of talking over the streets)

Drugs (Escape from the constraint of society)

Youth Employment and Mobilisation (810,300 are aged 15-24)

PNG YOUTH PSYCHE

(Youth profile, appreciation and aspirations : the voice of the Young)

Are they really slow and lazy, and endemic liars?

Are they generally assets or problem?

Are they really influenced by the "cargo cult" mentality, by wantokism?

What does the Young Melanesian think about marriage, justice, religion and livelihood?

PNG YOUTH SCENARIO

Youth dependency ratio - 75%.

80% of crime committed by Young People.

71% of prisoners - below age 25.

26% of school age children - no access to education.

60,000 children leave school every year.

300,000 youths addicted to drugs.

15% of youths (13-16 years) - enrolled each year for secondary education.

730,000 children will be of community school age by year 2000.

THE CHALLENGE OF LIBERATION :

The yearning of liberation has been due to the acute awareness of man's freedom and dignity together with the affirmation of the vulnerable rights of individuals and peoples.

FREEDOM DEMANDS CONDITIONS OF :

ECONOMICS (Mastery of nature, through development of science and technology).

SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ACHIEVEMENTS (Human rights, equal rights and participation)

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT (Inner freedom of thoughts and decision, historical and human sciences).

AMBIGUITIES OF THE MODERN PROCESS OF LIBERATION :

The sudden impact of Modernisation of Technological advance have shattered many of the old cultural patterns and values, world views of people without replacing them with new and meaningful ones.

As technology gains an ever greater control of nature (mining, logging) it threatens to destroy the very foundations of our future in such a way that mankind living today becomes the enemy of the generations to come (pollution, environmental disasters).

TECHNOLOGICAL POWER :

(The liberating force of scientific knowledge is objectively expressed in the great creative achievements of technology).

The danger of a new form of oppression arises due to forms of inequalities : knowers and users, makers and users.

In the beginning of the Industrial era workers were excluded from the access to the essential goods which they had helped to produce and to which they had a right. (Advent of individualism and collectivism).

Technical expertise used in acts of genocide and terrorism. Technology has outpaced humanity.

"The MULTIPLIER EFFECT of a small good done".

DON BOSCO MODEL

Capsulated Vision : HONEST CITIZENS AND GOOD CHRISTIAN

Two Prong Educational Plan : Technical and Academic.

For the Poor and Non-selected boys.

A civilisation of Work - "Work, work, work" - dying words of St. John Bosco

Gospel of the CARPENTER - workshops - "WORK IS PRAYER".

PREVENTIVE SYSTEM OF EDUCATION BASED : ON REASON : RULE OF REASON - DIPLOMACY, DIALOGUE, PARTICIPATION ON RELIGION: "Death rather than Sin" - "Give me Souls, take away the rest"

ON GENTLE KINDNESS : The environment of the system - "Love what the boys love and they will love what you love" - "Be always there with the Young".

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. CREATION OF A CLEARING HOUSE : AN INTER-AGENCY COORDINATING COUNCIL (The World is now run by CONNECTORS).

2. PNG IS TRANSITION :

Need of balancing - blending - Sanitising - Reinforcing - Countering.

Pristine Vs Modern

Bush Life Vs City Life

Traditional Ways Vs Mechanisation

conference presentation:  Fr. Salvador Pablo (SBD), Rector, Don Bosco Technical College

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GEORGE H. WRONDIMI, Conference Facilitator

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