In a tech savvy world, adults must improvise if their message is to be heard by youth.

Whatever young people think, they are usually unable to organize a piss up in a brewery, unless they have received a better education than the state sector currently provides. It is therefore the duty of the adults to take charge of the projects that benefit the youth, but make the youth feel that it is them that are running the show.

This is an important point. Left to the youth, nothing will ever get done! Adult supervision, encouragement and participation is necessary to give that added sense of urgency to the task. The education system has NOT taught the necessary discipline and self-motivation in organizing and carrying out projects and tasks successfully.

It is how adults communicate with young people that is at stake. Often young people are VERY suspicious when dealing with adult promises to help. Therefore the intentions must be clearly laid out. Some psychological knowledge in dealing with this aspect is helpful, so as to gain maximum impact especially in a program designed to help the youth.

The psychology of the youth of today also must be understood, so that the adults designing workshops such as leadership development programs, understand the fluid nature of acceptances to attend. Whilst my word may be my bond and if I say I will attend, I mean it. A young person in Sri Lanka on the other hand, may acknowledge that they will come, but in the end, if there is a more enticing offer, this promise will be conveniently forgotten.

It is therefore important that the invitation itself is sufficiently enticing to require their presence at “a must be at event!” These are all considerations that must be taken account of when planning any youth related event.

Of course there are the set piece events that will generate automatic interest, such as musicals, as the people are starved for entertainment of this nature, but when that is not the objective, why indulge in extravagance, when a different approach at far less expense may achieve the same or a more focused objective.

The youth will engage in something if direct and perceived benefit. The Nil Balakaya is making promises of employment if one is with them in the long haul, and that is a good enough reason for people to be with them, as long as that promise still holds true! That is what I mean about a direct benefit of belonging!