HUMANIST YOUTH FORUM
Humanist
Youth
Forum was
conceived some thirty years ago in 1977-78 when some younger members of
the IRHA thought of working with the youth in colleges and
universities. We wanted the youth to take up socio-cultural issues that
have plagued our society for a long time. Issues like women, caste and
population were among those thought of.
We
did not want the youth to be lectured by seniors. We wanted the youth
themselves to come out and say what they thought on those issues. The
youth were expected to question those who spoke, and youth only were
expected to reply. The seniors would be there of course but only to
correct any speaker if he/she strayed.
This
we tried for 3 days in various institutions of Delhi University in
1978 and we were encouraged. So we tried again in 1980 similarly.
The
idea was not to organize a few youth activities or a few seminars
on this issue or that. There were issues of our society that were
festering for a long long time but were not attended to -- with
disastrous consequences. We wanted the youth to start thinking on these
issues on a continuing basis, we wanted to spread the idea
organizationally as far as possible. We are taking it up after a long
gap. India must start thing for itself.
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