Prof. Subas KC, Kathmandu University School of Management

A silver lining in the current crisis is the way our youth responded. Shaking of the earth shook them off the inertia. We saw, almost in a pleasantly surprising way, thousands of them spontaneously engaged with community, rushing to rescue the endangered and reaching out to help the helpless. Mobilizing resources and giving to the community have gained sudden premium among the youth who otherwise seemed ‘virtually’ locked into self-centrism. Kudos to those unnamed youth in thousands who have not only rescued the dangerously exposed fellow human beings but in the process have also salvaged our sinking hope about the future of this nation. Their acts have been both inspired and inspiring.

Now as the dust of devastation is slowly settling down – hopefully, that is – it is time we reflected seriously about promises and pitfalls arising out of the emergence of the ‘youth action’. I am sure spontaneous volunteerism is here to stay in both action and attitude of our youth. So will the desire to reach out, mobilize, and give to the badly bruised.   A new character of our youth and a new youth culture might as well be in the making. On a broader social level, it will be both a transformation and transformative if it continues and is consolidated.   Will it? Will we? I wish the answer was straightforward and unconditional positive.

My worst fear is the phenomenon we are witnessing – and much appreciating – may finally settle into only a euphoric volunteerism the example of which is not that rare for us to recall. Our culture promotes euphoric emotionality, and the psychology of youth is more susceptible to it. The risk is this surge of energy and enthusiasm may only be a fad and recede into oblivion for want of a sense of purpose and passion. Similarly the actions of ‘rushing to help’ may breed among the ‘helpers’ a psychology of giver and savior, reinforcing the traditional pattern of power relationship between the dole dispenser and the resource receiver.

For avoiding these pitfalls, leadership is critical. It is also a constraint at the moment. There seems to be an obvious case of leadership deficit in the sense of the youth not being provided with a purposive direction, role model, elevation of personal standards, and empowerment in their engagement with the community. I will not be surprised if this has given rise to a perspective of short-termism, not seeing the problems of the communities and their own roles in relation to the needs of the people at distress from a long term consideration.   But an even more important dimension of the leadership in this case is its emergence within and from the youth in action. Is it evolving? I wish I could answer positively and confidently.

Whether it comes from the existing or the emergent leadership, what is important is the recognition and acceptance of the need for regeneration of communities ravaged by the fury of nature, not simply relief, rehabilitation or rebuilding. While they must be priorities for now, a longer term perspective of regenerating communities for them to rise to a new level of collective being and doing must guide the immediate actions directed towards them. And the pattern of such actions should be in the form of active and collaborative engagement with the communities, the purpose not being to ‘give’ them but to work with and enable them. In the long run, the communities should be able to develop and regenerate in line with their own tradition and along the way of their informed aspiration. External supportive interventions should facilitate, not replace, it.

Our youth, so active now in working with the communities at distress, will do well to recognize and realize the true nature of their work. There is a need for moving away from euphoric volunteerism and into the realm of prolific activism as they engage with the communities at the time of distress and even otherwise. What is needed is not only action but conviction and passion and a clear sense of purpose, both personally and collectively. My hope is our youth will set this course for themselves and walk the way without waiting for wise words from elsewhere.

The recent earthquakes have regrettably demolished much of what were dear to us. If the tradition of our way of working for and with the communities is also abolished in the aftermath of the terrifying tremors, there will be at least one thing for us not to be sad about the loss we have suffered. This is both a challenge and a choice for our youth.