Re-building and Re-engineering ourselves
I have participated in discussions with our people about our sorry state
and the usual lines I get is that 'we are better than...' My response
is why should we always place our bar of expectation so low?
Why is our point of comparison limited to 'mediocrity'?
What I mean is that it would amount to self-denial if we cannot accept that much of the efforts at building our youngsters in most of the parts of North is lacking in quality of depth and breadth. Though this is not peculiar to us yet it is glaringly obvious that we are lagging far behind in areas of enterprise, innovation and critical thinking.
We need a conscientious effort to be applied to raising youth who are independent-minded and have built their creative and innovative sides towards tackling challenges.
And if indeed we claim that a system like that of the almajiri system is sustainable then it must ‘necessarily’ be re-invented into a system which arms these army of youngsters with life skills and 'graduates' them into able-bodied citizens who have received both moral and technical skills with which they can navigate the current modern waters. A situation where an 18 year old has spent at least 10 crucial years of his life without obtaining much in terms of being able to craft, trade or wield proficiency in a particular skill will not lead us to being a 'sustainable community'.
This also raises a very pertinent issue which is that if at all there is going to be any appreciable gains in tackling issues of our society, we would need to start looking at collaborative private sector initiatives which will be more effective than government in ensuring sustainability. The government can only provide an enabling environment for the people but it is the initiatives and projects that the communities implement out of collaboration (either for-profit or not-for-profit), that can ensure we have sustainable lives.
For instance, for how long will the populaces of non-oil producing areas wait to be fed by 'rents' received from the center by politicians?
Will we always have to wait for a 'magnanimous' politician to stroll into office before we take hold of the reins of our 'destiny' and future and ensure we are 'secured'?
These are questions that need to be tackled and these changes must necessarily come from within if at all we aim at preserving those aspects of our 'ethos' which are the pillars of our existence.
For failing to plan, is a plan for failure.
Now is not a time for rhetoric, but rather it is a time of introspective activity that will rebuild and re-engineer.
Haidar Wali August 26, 2013 at 5:44pm
Why is our point of comparison limited to 'mediocrity'?
What I mean is that it would amount to self-denial if we cannot accept that much of the efforts at building our youngsters in most of the parts of North is lacking in quality of depth and breadth. Though this is not peculiar to us yet it is glaringly obvious that we are lagging far behind in areas of enterprise, innovation and critical thinking.
We need a conscientious effort to be applied to raising youth who are independent-minded and have built their creative and innovative sides towards tackling challenges.
And if indeed we claim that a system like that of the almajiri system is sustainable then it must ‘necessarily’ be re-invented into a system which arms these army of youngsters with life skills and 'graduates' them into able-bodied citizens who have received both moral and technical skills with which they can navigate the current modern waters. A situation where an 18 year old has spent at least 10 crucial years of his life without obtaining much in terms of being able to craft, trade or wield proficiency in a particular skill will not lead us to being a 'sustainable community'.
This also raises a very pertinent issue which is that if at all there is going to be any appreciable gains in tackling issues of our society, we would need to start looking at collaborative private sector initiatives which will be more effective than government in ensuring sustainability. The government can only provide an enabling environment for the people but it is the initiatives and projects that the communities implement out of collaboration (either for-profit or not-for-profit), that can ensure we have sustainable lives.
For instance, for how long will the populaces of non-oil producing areas wait to be fed by 'rents' received from the center by politicians?
Will we always have to wait for a 'magnanimous' politician to stroll into office before we take hold of the reins of our 'destiny' and future and ensure we are 'secured'?
These are questions that need to be tackled and these changes must necessarily come from within if at all we aim at preserving those aspects of our 'ethos' which are the pillars of our existence.
For failing to plan, is a plan for failure.
Now is not a time for rhetoric, but rather it is a time of introspective activity that will rebuild and re-engineer.
Haidar Wali August 26, 2013 at 5:44pm
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