'Engage youths in productive activities'

24 May 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

Speakers at a meeting yesterday emphasised engaging youths in productive activities to ensure the country's peace, security and progress. They were speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the two-day regional mid-term review meeting of commonwealth youth programme held at a city hotel. Apart from the host Bangladesh, government officials from the ministries concerned of Brunei, India, Malaysia, the Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Singapore took part in the meeting. They exchanged views of their respective countries on different initiatives to increase the employment of the countries' youths. They will prepare a set of recommendations to develop the sector at the concluding day of the ceremony. Mahindananda Aluthgamage, deputy minister for youth affairs of Sri Lanka, as a special guest said his country is considering involving the youth in the development process. Hundreds of youths in Sri Lanka earlier demonstrated demanding employment which is a major concern of the government. Speaking as the chief guest, Ahad Ali Sarkar, state minister for youth and sports, said the ministry is providing trainings on computer, internet, website hosting and other technical training through the ICT van to empower the youths in remote areas across the country. He also said the government is trying to reduce the unemployment to less than 15 percent of total population. Fatiha Serour, director of youth affairs division at the Commonwealth Secretariat, said the target to achieve the Millennium Development Goals would not be possible without involving the youths in the productive activities. The United Nations declared July 2010 to July 2011 as an International Youth Year. So, the commonwealth youth programme is also taking preparation to celebrate the year, Fatiha said.