YOUTH AS CATALYST FOR CHANGE

Ramonian Student Leaders Congress

Theme: CREDO: Championing Ramonians to Empower and Develop Organizations.

Outline of the Talk

Who is the Filipino youth? What should be the ideal characteristics of the youth? What should be the dimensions of change that the youth should engage? How should the youth be the catalytic holistic change agents?

Who are the Youth of the Philippines?

Section 2, RA 8044 youth is the critical period in a persons growth and development from the onset of adolescence toward the peak of mature, self reliant, and responsible adulthood comprising the considerable sector of population from the age of 15 to 30 years. Section 4, RA 8044 Youth shall refer to those persons whose ages range from 15 to 30 years old

What is the main challenge for the youth?

Youth is the stage of constructing the selfconcept. The self-concept of youth is influenced by several variables such as peers, (socio-economic-political status), lifestyle, gender, and culture. It is the time of a person's life in which they make choices which will affect their future (Wing, John, Jr. "Youth." Windsor
Review: A Journal of the Arts 45.1 (2012): 9+. Academic OneFile. Web. 24 Oct. 2012.)

Social Dimension

Economic Dimension

Political Dimension

On the Role of the Youth

the most significant sector of any society Youth is the backbone of the society, which shall mastermind and guide the future transformations in every walk of life. (Pope John Paul II, Ali Mursi Shaari bella esperanza de la Patria mia (Fair hope of my father land, Rizal) The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building (Art II, Sec 13, 1987 Constitution)

Significance of the Youth

the youth could inspire both hope and fear in the society. Fear in the form of apathy, criminality, and immorality. Hope in the form of participation, concern and volunteerism. Solving the countrys social problems, then, is a challenge for the youth to bring hope rather than fear into our society. (The Role of Youth in the
Philippines, http://www.tigweb.org/express/panorama/article.html?ContentID=1690 )

Diagnosis of our National Illness

The Philippines is afflicted with interlocking diseases of poverty, passivity, graft and corruption, exploitative patronage, factionalism, political instability, love for intrigue, lack of discipline, lack of patriotism, and the desire for instant self-gratification. This sickness is moral in nature the bottom of our economic problems and political instability is the weakness and corruption of the moral foundations of our society. (Senate Special Committee on Moral Recovery, 1991)

Roosevelt College-Marikina December 9, 2008

Chief Justice Reynato Puno

It is very obvious that the main problem of the country is moral decadence. This is the root cause of the density of power, corruption problem. You look at it more deeply. You look at it from its various dimensions. Thats why its time for the moral forces of the country to manifest themselves. They should cease to be an invisible force. They should play a dominant role in redirecting t he destiny of our people,

MOVEMENTS FOR REFORMS

Rebellion Movement Challenged the invincibility of the Spaniards Propaganda Movement Stirred Filipino Nationalism Revolutionary Movement Founding of the First Republic in Asia Movement for Nationalism Commonwealth Guerilla Movement Independence Democratic Movement EDSA I Movement for Morality in Government EDSA II

What is next?

Call of the Time

"This world demands the qualities of youth: not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the life of ease." Robert Kennedy ( "Day of Affirmation, University of Cape Town, South Africa. June 6, 1966", Robert F. Kennedy Memorial)

THE BEST REVENGE THAT WE COULD HAVE IS TO BE THE BEST THAT WE CAN BE! -SAVE ME Movement

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

DR. EDWIN CHINEL MONARES
Founder and Executive Director, SAVE ME Movement Chairman and CEO, Global Zenith Research and Consulting , Inc. 09298892229 or 09179547943 Facebook: doc edwin c. monares