Supporting competence by providing the needed national and international opportunities among our youths in Liberia is vital for thriving in a rapidly changing nation/world. Considering there is much to gain from growing directness and connectivity in a generation of Changemakers and independent thinkers, young people need not only the skills to be competitive and ready for a new world of work. But more importantly, the skills to capacity building and understanding the universal and cultural issues that affect them. With knowledge about universal and cultural issues, we can achieve the path to sustainable development as self-sustaining individuals and as a country.
The UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a shared vision of humanity, speaks to partnerships and provides the missing piece of the globalization puzzle. The extent to which that vision of partnering and working together becomes a reality will depend on today’s teaching space and ensuring that the SDGs become an actual social contract with youths. Schools and NGOs play a crucial role in helping young people develop global competence. They can provide opportunities for young people to critically examine significant international developments in their own lives and the world.
It also provides the platform to engage in open, appropriate, and effective interactions across cultures. This interaction is a step to preparing the young people for an inclusive Liberia. These platforms could also lead to sharing ideas about youth empowerment through social entrepreneurship, which will enable them to become problem solvers sustainably. Additionally, globalization allows people from different cultural and economic backgrounds to connect, and young people can benefit from such opportunities.
Developing good social skills and values is also vital in preparing young people for an inclusive and self-sustainable society. When someone is socially aware, they are more likely to accept values different from their own and understand that every idea can contribute to a sustainable society. Possessing good social skills also means that young people can seek out opportunities to develop themselves in different social gatherings and establish connections with other people. Meanwhile, social skills go beyond being an extrovert or a party person. It means that regardless of a person’s social characteristics, introvert or extrovert, they can make the most of their encounters with other people and benefit from such meetings.
The fight to make Liberia the country we all envision and dream of includes everyone regardless of their identity. If we should reach a point where we can sustain ourselves and lay the foundation to achieving great things for future generations, we need to do it together. Preparing ourselves by engaging in open, appropriate, and effective interactions across cultures, gaining the proper social skills and attitudes of openness, respecting people from different cultural backgrounds, and being open-minded will help us along the way.