Service as a Strategy: Youth and Community Development

"Youth Service: A Strategy for Youth and National Development," was written to promote the impact which civic service programs have in empowering young people in different countries. It refers to the concept of youth service as means of helping Institutions like the World Bank to achieve its central goal of reducing global poverty. The paper places less emphasis on programs that deliver services to young people and recommendations are made for the establishment of structured service programs which allow youth to play an important role in addressing the development priorities in their communities. It states that the values, attitudes, and skills acquired by youth -- and especially the choices made by the current generation of young people -- will influence the course of current events and shape the future in fundamental ways. It mentions how limited levels of education and life skills as well as limited access to employment or further education and training opportunities translates into disempowerment for these young citizens of the world. The paper acknowledges the concept of 'youth as resources in development,' and it commends service organizations for assisting young people to view themselves as a resource for change, rather than as a troubled, at-risk group.