Bridging the Gap: How Self-Awareness Can Unleash Youth Potential

Credit: UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras
 
Speaking on International Youth Day 2024 last week, the President of the General Assembly Dennis Francis said the historic Security Council resolution 2250 – adopted unanimously in 2015 – recognizes the pivotal role young people play in efforts to maintain international peace and security. Notably, the resolution urges Member States to consider ways to give the youth a greater voice in decision-making – both at the local, national, regional and international levels.
 
International Youth Day 2024, commemorated on August 12, highlighted a decade of progress on the Youth, Peace and Security agenda under the theme "Empowering Young Persons for Peace and Security." The world’s youth population is estimated at over 1.2 billion.

By Bisma Qamar
NEW YORK, Aug 22 2024 (IPS)

Imagine a world where every young person has the tools they need to succeed, regardless of their age, area of residence, ethnicity, college name, or the title on their resume. It’s a world where dreams are limitless, and potential knows no bounds.

Individuals often find themselves trying to fit into a puzzle piece where do not belong as the mere definition of success has been set on a few parameters one may feel obliged to achieve such as go to that high ranked school, get the right internship, make it to those networking events and land a perfect job – but what happens when one wishes to take a detour in their own path?

Self-awareness leads to Self-efficacy

Great emphasis has been given onto the crucial aspect of more inclusivity for youth as they are the future leaders for tomorrow, but why not equip them to become the leaders of today?

By understanding our self —our thoughts, feelings, strengths, weaknesses, values, and motivations—we build the foundation for believing in our ability to achieve our goals. Opportunities are everywhere, but the question lies how often do we know which and when to grasp?

On average, it has been seen individuals in the first 5-7 years post-graduation are seen to pivot in their careers most. In order to help young individuals achieve their true aspirations, instilling courage, building resilience, and developing self-awareness through effective career mapping tools, genuine mentoring, and making resources and platforms more accessible to them can have a great impact in shaping their journeys.

When youth are equipped with this knowledge, they can make informed decisions about their future, choosing paths that lead to genuine fulfillment rather than marking another tick on a pre-defined list of what they are told to follow by others, and that is where true empowerment lies.

Crossroads to Success

It becomes over whelming to stay focused and reflect on what is it that you truly want in a world full of endless opportunities, waking up to dynamic changes evolving them. The art of staying focused, specific and in alignment to one’s aspirations can lead to more effective career paths, in which youth would be able to emerge as true change makers in their respective areas.

This disconnect between one’s goals and the pathway chosen can lead to frustration, burnout, and a sense of unfulfilled potential resulting in a greater percentage of youth detouring from where their true potential really lies and giving up earlier than expected.

By allowing open dialogue, effective mentoring, offering diverse exposure and encouraging self-reflection in terms of one’s passion can greatly impact and empower a young individual to rise above and become the true authentic version of themselves.

Re-defining the norms:

As the secretary general stated earlier on the occasion of international youth day how crucial it is to make youth more included in all areas of decision making and how upskilling them with the relevant tools and knowledge is the way towards achieving creating an impact. Over the last decade, the word empowerment has seen to grow in importance and emphasis. It is now time to redefine what we mean by empowering others and are we actually putting it into action or have left it as another tick on the check list on the road of inclusivity.

Embrace the Detour

Taking that one step forward has always been the most hardest, as it carries the weight of expectations, fear of failure, fear of missing out and the constant chants of what will people think? In the midst of stepping towards that one forward and remaining in status quo is what truly shapes the future ahead.

As John Green stated “It is so hard to leave until you leave and then it is the easiest thing in the world”. Normalizing detours and motivating youth to challenge the status quo is what truly empowers them, rather than merely giving them the ability to make decisions and choose but with only the same colored balls in the box to choose from.

As we look towards building a more inclusive, innovative, peaceful and hopeful society ahead of us, we must acknowledge the fact that youth are no longer waiting to get a seat at the table, rather they are crafting their own tables to bring genuine change which would not be limited towards a few, but towards all and empowering youth for youth.

Bisma Qamar is a youth activist in the field of learning and development. As a specialist in communication & branding, she works on bridging the gap between talent and opportunities by upskilling individuals on personal and professional development across corporate organizations and academic institutions.

IPS UN Bureau