WELCOME ADDRESS - YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME

WELCOME ADDRESS AT TWO DAYS YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME HELD FOR ALL-GOA COLLEGE STUDENTS AND YOUTH, AT PILAR RETREAT CENTRE, PILAR, ON 3OTH AND 31ST JULY, 2009, SPONSORED BY GOA SUDHAROP IN ASSOCIATION WITH FR. AGNEL COLLEGE OF ARTS & COMMERCE, SOCIAL SCIENCE FORUM, PILAR, GOA.

GOOD MORNING!

HONOURABLE CHIEF GUEST: REV. FR. KYRIEL D’SOUZA, PROVINCIAL, GOA PROVINCE, SOCIETY OF PILAR, REV. FR. FREDERICK RODRIGUES, PRINCIPAL OF FR. AGNEL COLLEGE OF ARTS & COMMERCE, PILAR, MR. PRAVIN SABNIS OF UNLEARNING UNLIMITED; MR. SOMU RAO – GOA SCIENCE FORUM; MR. LESTER FERNANDES – WRITER,CARTOONIST AND PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT TRAINER; MR. SOTER D’SOUZA – CENTRE FOR PANCHAYATI RAJ, PEACEFUL SOCIETY, AND EXPERT ON LOCAL SELF-GOVERNANCE; MR. MINGUEL BRAGANZA – WRITER, AGRICULTURIST, AND ENVIRONMENTALIST; MR. V. KAMAT –RTI ACTIVIST, RAJASHREE BANDODKAR-KARAPURKAR – TEACHER – INVOLVED IN YOUTH CONCERNS, ADVOCATE ALMEIDA – ACTIVIST IN HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES; MR. VENKAT – TEACHER OF RHYTHEMIC BREATHING; MR. MARIO D’SOUZA – CO-ORDINATOR, MEMBERS OF THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE; FR.AGNEL COLLEGE STAFF MEMBERS; STUDENTS; AND GUESTS.

ON BEHALF OF GOA SUDHAROP COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INC. U.S.A., AND FR. AGNEL COLLEGE OF ARTS & COMMERCE, PILAR, I EXTEND TO YOU ALL A VERY HEARTY WELCOME TO THIS YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME SPECIALLY ORGANISED FOR ALL GOA COLLEGE STUDENTS AND YOUTH, BY GOA SUDHAROP IN ASSOCIATION WITH FR. AGNEL COLLEGE.

GOA SUDHAROP IS A GOAN DIASPORA VOLUNTEER, NON-PROFIT NGO WORKING FOR BETTERMENT OF GOA AND GOANS WORLDWIDE FOR OVER A DECADE, HUMBLY CONTRIBUTING IN ALL AREAS OF GOA’S DEVELOPMENT, THROUGH ITS ANNUAL THEME-BASED PROGRAMMES SUCH AS THIS ONE. FR. AGNEL COLLEGE, PILAR, DEDICATELY WORKS TOWARDS A MISSION TO PROVIDE QUALITY HIGHER EDUCATION TO ALL INCLUDING THE SOCIALLY, ECONOMICALLY AND ACADEMICALLY CHALLENGED STUDENTS, AND THROUGH HONEST TOIL BUILD SUCCESSFUL CITIZENS IN ALL WALKS OF LIFE.

GOA SUDHAROP IS GRATEFUL FOR THE KEEN PERSONAL EFFORTS OF FR. FREDERICK AND MR. PRAVIN SABNIS IN HELPING GOA SUDHAROP IN ORGANISING THIS PROGRAMME. THE EXCELLENT TEAM-WORK OF OF THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE CO-ORDINATED BY MR. MARIO D’SOUZA AS, ALSO THE STUDENTS OF THE COLLEGE, ALL OF WHICH, I AM HAPPY TO SAY,WAS MOST EXEMPLARY AND COMMENDABLE INDEED! THE VALUABLE SUPPORT OF GOA SUDHAROP’S VOLUNTEER MISS VALERIE RODRIGUES ALSO DESERVES A SPECIAL MENTION.

GOA SUDHAROP OBSERVES THIS YEAR AS “YEAR OF THE YOUTH”, IN GOA, BELIEVING THAT PROMOTION OF HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT OF OUR YOUTH IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE TO ENSURE THAT THE FUTURE REMAINS IN SAFE HANDS. THEREFORE, IN LINE WITH ITS THEME YEAR, GOA SUDHAROP HAS CHOSEN TO SPECIALLY FOCUS ON THE ROLE OF THE YOUTH IN NATION BUILDING, THE PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY TODAY’S YOUTH, AND TO DO OUR HUMBLE BIT TOWARDS THEIR EMPOWERMENT FOR THE TASK AHEAD.

AS WE KNOW, THE YOUTH CONSTITUTE THE NERVE CENTRE OF THE NATION, THE HEART OF A SOCIETY OR THE LIFE AND BLOOD OF A COUNTRY OR A COMMUNITY. THEY FORM THE FORCE THAT CAN BUILD A NATION OR BULLDOZE ALL THE DEVELOPMENT ACHIEVED OVER THE CENTURIES. THEY ARE THE ONES WHO CAN EITHER PRESERVE THE CULTURE AND THE VALUES, MAINTAIN LAW AND ORDER AND CAN LEAD A CIVILISTION TO NEW HEIGHTS OR IT IS THEY WHO CAN PUSH THE SOCIETY DOWNHILL. BUT, WHAT THE YOUTH DO, DEPENDS ACTUALLY ON WHAT THEY THINK, AND WHAT THEY THINK DEPENDS ON WHAT THEY LEARN, LISTEN OR READ AND SEE. SO, IT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO MAKE PROVISION FOR THEIR EXPOSURE TO WHAT IS GOOD. IF THE SOCIETY DOES NOT TAKE SUCH STEPS, IT WORKS FOR ITS OWN DOOM. CONTRARIWISE, WE CAN SAY THAT THE WORLD CAN BE A BETTER PLACE IF THE YOUTH BECOME BETTER. THE YOUTH CAN BE BETTER IF THEIR EDUCATION IS BETTER, THEIR ELDERS ARE BETTER AND ALL THESE GET SUFFICIENT EXPOSURE TO THOSE TEACHINGS AND ALSO HAVE CONTACT WITH THOSE PERSONS WHO CAN SERVE AS EXAMPLE OF BETTER PRINCIPLES AND BETTER PRACTICES.

WE ARE INDEED DELIGHTED AND HONOURED TO HAVE WITH US REV. FR. KYRIEL D’SOUZA AS OUR CHIEF GUEST. HE IS A DYNAMIC AND MULTI-FACETED PERSONALITY, WHO HAS SUCCESSFULLY SERVED THE SOCIETY OF PILLAR FOR OVER 25 YEARS IN VARIOUS POSITIONS. HE HAS BEEN KIND ENOUGH TO SPECIALLY COME AND GRACE THIS PROGRAMME, DESPITE HIS HEAVY AND IMPORTANT SCHEDULE. THANK YOU FR…….. WE ARE ENCOURAGED SO MUCH!

OUR RESOURCE PERSONS; MR. PRAVIN SABNIS AND OTHERS ARE WELL-KNOWN SOCIAL ACTIVISTS FOR DEDICATED AND EFFECTIVE WORK IN THEIR RESPECTIVE FIELDS. EACH ONE OF THEM WILL BE FORMALLY INTRODUCED TO YOU AS THE PROGRAMME PROGRESSES. WE GREATLY APPRECIATE, AND ARE GREATFUL FOR THEIR KEEN INTEREST AND SPONTENOUS AND VOLUNTARY RESPONSE TO MAKE THIS PROGRAMME A REAL LABOUR OF LOVE FOR THE GOAN YOUTH.

MY SPECIAL COMPLIMENTS TO YOU DEAR STUDENTS AND YOUNG MEN WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAMME IN ORDER TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUTH POTENTIAL, YOUTH PROBLEMS AND YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AS IT IS DESIGNED TO HELP YOU GIVE A BETTER ACCOUNT OF YOUR SELVES IN THIS CHALLENGING WORLD. YOU MAY PERHAPS HEARD THIS SAYING: “THE MIND IS LIKE A PARACHUTE - THE MORE IT IS OPEN THE BETTER IT FUNCTIONS”, AND THAT IS WHAT, I BELIEVE, THIS PROGRAMME WILL LEAD YOU TO EXPERIENCE, AND HELP YOU TO BE A BETTER PERSON AND A BETTER CITIZEN!

WITH THAT…. I ONCE AGAIN, WARMLY WELCOME EACH ONE OF YOU, AND WISH THAT YOU NOT ONLY LEARN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FROM THIS PROGRAMME, BUT ALSO ENJOY DOING SO. THANK YOU!