YOUTH CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES IN INDIA- COMMISSION ON YOUTH

Short Film Contest

short film Competition PosterAugust 12 is observed as International Youth day all over the world every year. Commission on Youth also has been observing International Youth Day through organizing various programmes through its constituent members who are around 14 million people. Among the 14 million, approximately 4 million are young people. Commission on Youth has been catering to these young people on International Youth day by enabling them to realize their skills and by acknowledging the contributions youth make to the Church and society.

In 2012, Commission on youth organized Bible quiz, Elocution and painting competitions for young people on the theme “Arise and shine lets build the earth”. In 2013, a musical concert with young musicians was organized and also a seminar on “Youth and Migration” was conducted. In 2014, we organized an essay writing competition on our modified centenary theme “youth towards integral mission and grassroots ecumenism”. This year the UN theme is “Youth Civic Engagement”.

Young people constitute approximately 66% of the entire population. And India is heading to be the world’s largest youth population. But in spite India being the youngest nation, we hardly see young people in the leadership roles, as decision makers, as CEOs of the organizations, heads of the Churches etc. What is the reason behind this lack of space for young people. Young people lack the space they deserve because their space is being occupied by others. Young people are pushed to the margins denied space and opportunity. How we claim our space is the question before us, Commission on Youth has been organizing several leadership training programmes since its inception and has trained young people into leadership roles and encouraging them to join the ecumenical movement. We have started reaping the fruit of the toil and have seen few young people joining the Ecumenical Movement and giving leadership to few organizations, though this is an achievement in itself. This is not sufficient; there is need for claiming more space.

It is in context, the UN theme for International Youth Day theme “Youth Civic Engagement” becomes relevant and contextual. The engagement and participation of youth is essential to achieve sustainable human development. The engagement of Youth is necessary to offer innovative ways of solving the crisis at various levels, youth leadership is important to ensure we give space for second line leadership. Young people are less represented, be it in the church committees, be it in the leadership roles of the church and society. But when it comes to Dalit youth, the space is further shrunk and further more worse for dalit women. Though there are dalits who have contributed to the church and society, their caste identity doesn’t allow their contributions to see the day, they remain in the dark.

Therefore, this year, the Commission on Youth has decided to conduct a Short Film contest for its constituent members. The aim of this contest is to encourage young people to shoot short films on the contributions of dalit young women who have contributed to the church and society through civic engagement.

Objectives:

  • To be exposed to, and to appreciate and acknowledge the contributions of the Dalit young women to the Church and society.
  • To encourage young people to know the stories of young dalit women and to make their short inspiring films based on their contributions

Invitation to partner!

The Commission on Youth invites individuals and churches to  institute prizes in their respective name. The prize money will be given by the NCCI Commission on Youth on every International Youth Day to the best entry/participation in the programme/competition organized for the year.

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