Youth, Media and Peace
An Observation from Economic Perspective

Prof. Gunanidhi Sharma

Economic development brings prosperity, which, in turn, is expected, in general, to serve as the precondition for peace and democracy. In order to accelerate the pace of development the nation needs overall change in social perceptions with stress on material well being that eventually induces the society to move further towards higher stage of socio-economic transformations. The transformations are said to be efficient when they make the process of economic development more meaningful with its eventual impact on diverse interests. This is particularly true in a plural society which is presumed as the by product of the social capital comprising, specially, the national, human as well as non human, diversities. The human diversities are found in a nation’s ethnic, cultural, regional and, above all, the social fundamentals. In this sense, economic prosperity is not the only consequence of technology and physical resources. The social and institutional aspects of the initial conditions for growth and transformations may be not less vital in shaping the process of change and determining its higher level magnitude. The social and institutional aspect of the determinants of development, however, must not be as rigid, static and stagnant as to prevent the alterations in habits, tests, perceptions and intergenerational choices as in Nepal with their otherwise impact on market expansion for high value added products generated by the hybrid from of activities like commercial agriculture and core industrial undertakings.

System, in deed, needs to become sufficiently rigorous, flexible and dynamic in order to make the society affluent. Flexibility is not possible in a situation where a preoccupied mind set of rulers yield nothing but only the institutional legacy working in favour of those who are already privileged. This thesis of social upliftment demands shock treatment in an indefinite world which is in need of the definite role of youth and media, who are activating each other.

Of course, a flexible scientific society relies more upon media and youth whose role is of an engine that keeps the process of social development going. Both media and youth make the nation technologically sound and institutionally competent, as they always are in search of a new but the hybrid order consistent with its counterpart abroad. Process of globalization is made inclusive in the country with this. This possibility is visible when the media defuses information of all types at all levels, the youth, who are highly sensitive to the change in world context, apply the new discovery so informed by media to almost all of the economic, social and technological fields. With this even old institutions get younger through youth’s and media’s confrontation or encounter with the rigid version of the societal practices. In fact, youths and media are the valuable resources available to any society who, in accordance with the law of contradiction, are efficient in managing ‘shifting transitions’. Transitions are also made smooth but in favour of all who are in need of fairness in national treatment. Peace is delivered straight automatically when the fairness in national treatment is resumed. Thus, in a dynamic and responsible social system youths and media are the prominent catalysts who work for an efficient but egalitarian social order as a result of which they assume the role of the commanding heights included in social, institutional and soft infrastructures. Nepal must be grouped into a lucky country where both youth and media, time and again, have been effortful in making their rigorous attempts so as to find the system convergent towards social stability, essential for peace and prosperity. They are also active in resuming political and economic democracy.

At the moment, Nepalese youths and media are supplementing each other in a bid to resolve inherent crisis of political leadership, governance, economic development, regional and ethnic balance, gender equality, human rights and child labour, environmental balance, health and educational opportunities, etc. The role, mainly, of educated youth and socially responsible journalism seems vital in this regard.

Of course, some more than one million illiterate, semiliterate and technically literate persons among youth have left the country during recent years. Others are raising even arms against the establishment. Reasons for this are given as: social exclusion; unemployment; underemployment; liberalisation; non-performing governance; discrimination; uneven distribution of wealth, income and opportunities; depravation; etc. Therefore, the instability of all types is at hand. It is held that instability is due to systemic flaws against which educated youths and media have been raising voices.

Looking at the proportion of the population of productive age group between 15-60 years at present, which is 54 percent, one would definitely be hopeful in the country’s economic and social future. But for the systemic mistakes in political process and governance expectations are highly institutionally distorted. Country is experiencing multifaceted problems of internal as well as external origin, as a consequence of which each of us in society have to pay a high price in terms of the various costs involved in the losses of life, property, social opportunities, promising future, social harmony and national integrity, the recovery of which may require a long time which a poor nation like Nepal can’t afford. As there is a strong nexus between present and future, the future of crisis too is overwhelmingly made viable. This deepens crisis further and makes the situation even more complex, providing a fertile ground to the elements at home and abroad who are keenly interested in an unstable Nepal.

Of course, Nepal, at present, needs a smooth transition from a feudal and traditional society to a modern capitalist system where every one of us is efficient in harnessing personal, social and national assets including time, efforts, talent, character, money, biological- human and other physical- diversities, stock of knowledge and property, etc., in such a way that factor productivity all over the country is enhanced and economic growth is accelerated. This keeps economy functioning. As the economy becomes aware of its prosperity, the momentum of pace of development is gained and, hence, ready for takeoff. It is in this sequence that the economy is expected to take care of itself.

The problem, however, is of willingly participating in the development process of all resources all over the country in whatever form they are, such as: natural and human resources, culture, ethnic and biological diversities, institutional capacity in governance, climatic variations, stock of knowledge and so on. It paves the way for sustainable peace and democracy. This also highlights the importance of non-economic factors in economic development. This also magnifies the issue of reducing Nepal’s absolute dependence focused on international trade, aid and FDI in course of economic development. Mainly, either the lesser participation of all resources, or the idleness in resources at a time when population is growing constantly by over 2.5 percent over decades, compared to the similar pattern of economic growth, is a contradiction facing Nepal. These anomalies need heavy corrections in development perspectives, policies and strategies. Of these, local self-governance in approaching indigenous resources, technology and community management appears highly essential. The role of Nepalese youth and the media at all levels in this game of restructuring the development thinking and organizing the state, community and local bodies activities seems imperative. Once it is realised, not only would stability be restored, but peace and democracy in its true sense would also be eventually attained. (Key note speech at a Telegraph/FES seminar, 2004)

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