KATHMANDU: It is everyone’s dream to succeed but not all know how. What if the youth are given chance to make decisions instead of just repeating the rhetoric ‘youth are the pillars in nation building’.

With this thought, the Godavari Alumni Association (GAA) aided by the Australian Embassy, has initiated the ‘Youth Forum’, which is a year long event to be held fortnightly that will discuss youth related problems.

“It is the youth who have the power to bring about changes in the future. This forum gives our youth a space,” said Rajiv Pradhan, GAA president, “a platform to share visions and achieve them.”

‘Youths in Decision Making’ — was the topic discussed on February 3. Anil Chitrakar, social entrepreneur, explained the importance of decision-making. “If present is the result of past, as Buddha said, which has been described as fatalism in the Nepali context, the future thus is the result of the present.” But it is often difficult to decide on what you really want to do. ‘Pursuing one’s passion’ is often suggested, but Chitrakar begged to differ. “Perfection is the enemy of good, which inhibits people from taking any decision. It should be good enough to act.”

The Forum being interactive, the ideas put forward by the youngsters were simply amazing and one could not help but feel a hope rising in one’s heart when everything around looks so negative.

Each discussion session will be followed by an activity chosen to be done by the group

(related to the topic of discussion) in the following week.

“We want youth action on the agendas they discuss during the session,” said Raphael Pradhan, executive coordinator.

Until the next Forum, here’s to youth power. Keep going strong.