Diplomacy opens doors for youth to grow

Globalisation has wiped out traditional boundaries as we knew them. Now we have a new world order. The 21st century has been hailed as the century for advanced globalisation.

Interactions and integrations between people, organisations and governments around the world have been growing significantly due to advancements in economic and technological investments.

At the same time, though, people in less fortunate situations seem to be losing out on the basic benefits of a developing and interconnected world.

Youth engagement is vital to the success of meeting and solving the global challenges of today and tomorrow. Today’s young people should be encouraged to be globally-minded citizens, who are increasingly inspired to find ways to become true citizen diplomats.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Young people should embark on opportunities to explore international relations and enhance their diplomatic skills as they seek to contribute towards solving some of the world’s most pressing problems.

They should also strive to work in an intellectually challenging and culturally diverse environment.

The question is how should young people position themselves to connect with opportunities beyond Kenya? They can do this by creating platforms for sharing knowledge, engaging foreign policy makers, government officials, international government organisations, NGOs and other international actors that shape youth conversations.

DECISION MAKERS

They should organise themselves to debate with diplomats and high-level decision makers. This should be done with a view to voicing their opinions and increasing their networking skills through both formal and informal interactions with the diplomatic community.

Young people should also be ready to take a leadership role in addressing local and international development issues of concern to them.

For this to happen, they should work to discover their voice and realise their ability to make a positive contribution in society. 

The youth also need to be at the forefront of the work in diplomacy for many important reasons, but probably the biggest asset at their disposal is their growing up in a technologically-advanced world with fluid borders.

FOREIGN LANGUAGES

The millions of voices that they can raise through the many platforms available to them is something that could never be done before. Young people have a place in making the world’s greatest decisions and in ensuring that every perspective is accounted for in the debates that involve decision-making.

Young people should also pursue foreign languages as well as cultural education so as to gain a deeper understanding, and enjoy the benefits of foreign language skills for diplomacy. This way, they will be inspired to learn more about the world around them.

Using art for diplomacy can also be instrumental in shaping the tone and nature of inter-cultural relations.

SOCIAL COHESION

It provides, on the one hand, a medium through which cultural heritage and identity can be experienced and interpreted.

On the other hand, it can create a unique space for artists, audiences and other stakeholders in cultural management to come together. Besides, they can also art to raise awareness about different cultures, to promote social cohesion and to strengthen inter-cultural relations. 

Diplomacy is one area that has a lot of opportunities for young people and they should be encouraged to embrace it.

 Dr Kiambati is a management consultant and a senior lecturer at Karatina University. kellenkiambati@gm ail.com. Dr Kariuki is a social scientist, management consultant and a lecturer at Karatina University. [email protected]