The cliche maybe true, but that’s a very obvious statement. They might as well say that Christmas is in December.The issue is, it gives this notion that young people are only relevant in the future and until such time, we should just lick lollipops, listen to adult wisdom and wait. It’s not that I’m picking fights, it’s a very real attitude I’ve encountered many a time.

It maybe true that young people interested in social development are low, but partly, this is because spaces for such engagement are quite low too. BB is one such initiative which aims to create this space, our mission is to explicitly to work on development issues not charity. I think we need more of that. I am less optimistic though as to the readiness for a social movement among SL youth. Being involved is one thing, risking your neck for a ‘youth uprising’ is quite another. I guess we are too busy, and in some sense this is a good thing. I believe in more like a marginal revolution — small steps for a better world.

I’ve responded to the urban vs. rural stuff above and in my blog . I agree that rural Sri Lanka is still defendant on government more than the urban youth, my contention is even so, they are much less dependent than they were before and it’s not as bad for a lot of them to pick up a gun. There is also no ideological motivator. Che guevera is on T-shirts and mugs in the market, thankfully. It might be different story for north and some parts of the east, this is why the restrictions on travel from the north is especially stupid, in my opinion.

A youth uprising is not necessarily bad as long as there is clarity in terms of what the uprising is for. There needs to be a lot of change in the mindsets of today’s youth in terms of the conflict, especially in terms of active involvement in dialogue. Today the youth are more interested in carving out their individual futures and the amount of young people interested in social development is really quite low. Sri Lanka is ready for a social movement in order to push for a negotiated settlement for the conflict and what better way to start than through a positive and progressive youth uprisal.

Furthermore, your comments in terms of the state, maybe be true to an urban situation but there are many rural places in Sri Lanka where whatever the state provides is sometimes their only option and even though as you state many migrate towards the urban areas, their ability to succeed is fairly remote. Here the issue of knowing the English language comes into major play.

So without the present there cannot be a future and what you do today really defines what the future is going to be like….sorry, but the cliché does apply…

I think “youth uprisings” are unlikely because you got to have a sense of scale. In say the 70s or before that state was the major employer now that’s no longer the case. People don’t have to look for “government jobs”, because much of the economy is in the private sector.

Generally cities create more prosperity, because well, obviously there’s greater division of labor, the cost of say generic services (infrastructure, water, etc) , per capita would be less, greater access to technology, so on.

There’s nothing that prevents young people in rural settings to migrate into cities, and they, as you will observe, often do.

So no, state is NOT “pretty much the only opportunity” for most young people, nor is it the majority stake holder. As for state backing initiatives, where’s the state backing us? or most other civil society organizations.

I mean, seriously, do you think we are in the verge of a “youth uprising”?

well, i don’t agree with this for one. Economic Liberalization still remains, sadly, the dominion of cities & certain strata of society within those cities.
So the state is PRETTY MUCH the only opportunity for most young people, especially on the road to becoming young people where most of the education depends on the government. (Think free education policies, no teachers for English & Math etc…)

While it may not be the exclusive domain of the state, the state is definitely majority stake holder, unless & until these economic liberilzations you are talking about trickle down to the majority living without it! (taking my earlier example of education, you have to give them an opportunity that doesn’t cost too much to opt for private education, if the country can’t find enough English teachers for state schools!)

Money is the motivator, but money needs to go to everybody, not be hoarded by a few!
So true, young people are the present, agreed! But where is the present going to get them without a state that can back the inititative? Stopping youth uprisings is going to be quite hard in this context!