Youth of the Lion Island, I, the Chairman of your National Youth Corps stand before you not with pronouncements, but with a spark – a spark to ignite the fire that burns within each of you. In the year 2002, our National Youth Corps was born. A seed, planted in the fertile soil of hope, nurtured by the collective dream of a Sri Lanka where its youth not only carried the torch of our ancient heritage but blazed a trail into the ever-evolving digital age.
From its humble beginnings, the Youth Corps has blossomed into a beacon of empowerment. We’ve trained over 600,000 young minds, honing their skills in leadership, discipline, and citizenship. We’ve instilled in them the values of our ancestors – the unwavering courage, the wisdom, the resilience. These aren’t mere lessons; they’re the armor we wear, the compass that guides us through the uncertainties of the modern world.
Look around you! Our graduates stand tall in every corner of Sri Lanka. They’re the teachers shaping young minds, the entrepreneurs building innovative ventures, the artists weaving narratives of hope. They’re the future CEOs, the doctors healing communities, the engineers crafting sustainable solutions.
But our journey doesn’t end here. The future beckons, a digital landscape brimming with possibilities. We at the Youth Corps envision a Sri Lanka where technology isn’t just a tool, but a catalyst for progress. We envision young hands weaving a digital tapestry, one line of code at a time, to build a future that’s not just prosperous, but sustainable, inclusive, and just.
Our goals are ambitious, yet grounded in the bedrock of our values. We will equip our youth with the skills to navigate the digital landscape, from coding and robotics to artificial intelligence and social media. We will bridge the digital divide, ensuring every Sri Lankan child has access to the tools that empower them. We will cultivate a spirit of innovation, encouraging our youth to solve problems, not just consume technology.
But technology alone isn’t enough. We will continue to nurture those timeless values – honor, respect, responsibility. We will foster a spirit of service, reminding our youth that strength lies not only in individual achievement but in uplifting others. We will be the lighthouse guiding young Sri Lankans, not just into the digital age, but towards a future where they are agents of positive change, architects of a Sri Lanka that shines brighter than ever before.
So, young lions, remember this: You are not just inheritors of a glorious past; you are the architects of a magnificent future. Our journey towards a brighter future must be interwoven with the Green Corps initiative where you become stewards of our island paradise. Through the Green Corps you become protectors of our rich biodiversity for future generations thus we advance into a future where progress and sustainability walk hand-in-hand.
The digital age is your canvas, and the National Youth Corps is your brush. Paint a Sri Lanka that is not just smart, but green, and leave your footprints not just in the digital sands, but in the fertile soil of a flourishing tomorrow.
Remember, together, we are unstoppable!
Chaturanga Udawatte
Chairman
National Youth Corps
