By Frank Sainworla, Jr., fsainworla@yahoo.com
I was in the company of former Liberian Ambassador to Senegal Johnny McClain at a July 26 Independence Day program in Dakar few years ago when he said something that struck a chord. I believed him every step of the way when he said ‘yes it’s often said that our youths are our future.’
But he threw out a caveat that the future can only be guaranteed in the hands of the “prepared youths,” something as a 1960s-borne I do fully agree with. Thus the prepared youths are indeed our future.
Who are the prepared youths?
This writer is one of those who believe in the holistic development of the human person—academically, morally, culturally and spiritually. At the core of it all is a sense of discipline and responsibility. The prepared future leaders are those who are disciplined.
This is how Oxford English dictionary defines discipline: “Controlled and obedient behavior…train to be orderly.” In fact, leaders should be managers. And management science says mangers are people who are responsible to supervise, control, organize and direct people and resources in a way as to achieve an organization’s goals and objectives. Studies have shown that the best managers/leaders are those who lead by example.
While it is very important for our youths to prepare themselves academically or through formal education (getting the Bachelors, Masters, Phds as well as the vocational and technical training); it is at the same time critically important to have it built on the foundation of discipline. And if our future leaders are not disciplined, they would lead by very bad examples and only heaven knows where this will lead us.
Gambling with our future
Trusting the future in the hands of the unprepared youths means that this nation would be gambling with the country’s future. Discipline and responsibility are indeed the hallmark of the youths’ preparedness to steer the ship of state. For education without discipline is like the proverbial “a cup of tea without sugar.”
Dignity of labour
The prepared youths are also those who believe in the dignity of labour and honesty—putting the head in gear and their hands to work. Such youths believe in putting their very best into their work, not just doing their jobs sluggishly only being concerned about getting paid at the end. Whatever our hands find to do, we must do it efficiently and effectively.
It is said in the great book, the Bible “By the swat of thy brow ye shall eat bread.” With discipline, hard work becomes self-satisfying and mentally enriching. Remember “no food for lazy man,” says a local Liberian parlance.
Also, the prepared youths that would be entrusted with the future of our beloved country, Liberia must be endowed with a high sense of patriotism and nationalism. Love for country must be first and last in whatever we do. Governments come, governments go but our common patrimony Liberia remains.
A patriotic commitment to service to the nation must take precedence over service and loyalty to individuals and/or political parties. National services must be seen as the name says, not as just another job with fat salaries and allowances. Everything must be done to inculcate a culture of nationalism and public service.
Conclusion
Finally, the prepared youths in whose hands Liberia’s future will rest must be imbued with a high sense of integrity, respect for human dignity and moral virtues, which discipline can nurture. The unprepared ones can be seen today, as they blatantly don’t respect the rights of others and disregard the golden rule—“do unto others as you want them to do unto you.” They also manifest this in their disregard for positive Liberian values and culture such as respect for older people.
So, Liberia’s future can only be guaranteed in the hands of the prepared youths who are disciplined and responsible. This can happen with the right programs in place. It’s hoped that the reintroduction of civic and cultural values in the country’s education system will help.
Note: This IS A REPEAT OF ONE OF MY PIECES FROM MY NEWSPAPER COLUMN, “FRANKLY SPEAKING”