• Indian School of Business (ISB) hosts round table on International Youth Day to discuss “Safe Spaces for Youth”
Hyderabad : The Indian School of Business (ISB), on account of International Youth Day, organised a round table with students and members from CII – Young Indians, to discuss critical issues around this year’s theme of ‘Safe Spaces for Youth’ and youth’s involvement to tackle them.
The discussion involved students from diverse backgrounds such as public policy, social development, technology, entrepreneurship and business, and the agenda was to bring youth issues to the fore and deliberate on the potential of Youth community as partners for change in the society.
Speaking about the event, Kumara Guru, Director, External Relations, ISB, said “At the ISB, it is our endeavour to facilitate conversations that encourage our students to think of pressing issues of society and help find solutions. On the eve of International Youth Day 2018 (August 12), we are happy that students came forward to discuss the focal issue of safe spaces for youth, resonating with the theme set by United Nations.
Key Discussion points :
- The safe spaces can be divided among – a) physical and Civic spaces, b) virtual spaces and c) Social and mental spaces for Youth
- The frameworks supporting safe spaces – on one hand it is the domain level division of civic, social/emotional/mental and cyberspaces. on the other it is the rural vs urban construct.
- More than infrastructure, what we are looking at is a behavioral transformation and subsequent assimilation, right from the grassroots level
- Regarding laws – importance in managing and ensuring safe spaces. Along with the passing of legislation, we need enhancement in awareness levels – especially in cyber laws. do we need laws to curb technological outreach as well? Also, important is the gestation period of laws to gauge their viability in the general scheme of things. There is requirement of active sensitisation when it comes to simple things like trolling, bullying, stalking on the web, etc.
- Politics – important to be aware of the political streams sweeping the nation – more so for students of prestigious institutes like ISB. There is acute need of dialogue to understand the dynamics in place and how do we reach towards a healthier and more plural society.
- Importance of entrepreneurship and jobs in general to keep people engaged. How educated women need to work even beyond monetary requirements.
- Advocacy groups propagated through educational institutes and proactive youth involvement. ecosystem to nurture future leaders.
- Need for assimilation of the formal systems of education with the support groups that function in the periphery.
- Echo-chambers online – need to venture out and establish conversations with individuals and groups of a different mental/political disposition.
- The role of the corporate in bringing about and driving change in the country and how we, as future corporate leaders could contribute.
- The need to speak – virtual or physical spaces – for the privileged who have a sanitised upbringing and understanding the hurdles before initiating change.
- Exercising and understanding freedom – with caution, discipline and good understanding of the implications.
- The role of family and the immediate circumstances in shaping up a youth’s mind space and ideology.
- Equal emphasis on short-term and long-term goals and how do we play an active role in it.
- Social media is a great equaliser, but it poses great risk for the next billion people coming online who are not aware about the perils of the platform.
