National Youth Brigade :

Making youths dreams come true

Youth Brigade has also taken steps to develop aesthetic talents among youths

The National Youth Brigade was set up in terms of the Youth Brigade Act No 21 0f 2002 to create a disciplined and law abiding youth generation and introduce them to a good profession by providing them with vocational training and education and personality development.

The National Youth Brigade operating under the three themes discipline, leadership and personality development is taking all efforts to build a strong youth brigade which can overcome all challenges in life.

Children who enter the period of youth, considered the stormy season in life, strive to build their own identity in society. Youth is a fertile land or period of life for the growth of stress. Social scientists have found that there is much indifference among youths about their future.

The National Youth Brigade has launched various activities to develop the latent talents and skills of youths and introduce them to society.

Boys and girls throughout the country are enrolled as rangers to a month’s training course and trained in activities mainly to develop their personality. The daily programme from 7.30am to 4.30pm mainly delves at promoting leadership qualities.

School drop outs and youths without opportunities for higher education are mainly enrolled to the youth brigade training courses. These courses differ from school education because they also include many extra curricular activities.

A youth prepared for social integration should be well disciplined.

The main target of the National Youth Brigade is to create discipline among youths. It inculcates respect to the national flag, anthem and good personal habits including eating habits.

It also provides training in team spirit, new inventions and respect for their views and aspirations. The daily training programmes also include two hours of physical training exercises under army guidance.Plans are afoot to pick the best drill (PT) team from among the network of 38 youth brigade centres and provide them an opportunity to participate in this year’s Independence Day parade as a separate platoon.

The Brigade comprises a batch of nearly 600 instructors attached to the countrywide network of centres to train youth rangers and lead them along a positive path to progress.

At a time when technology is invading the lives of youths from many directions, there is a limited time left to divert them towards books and the reading habit.

The daily training programmes include two hours of physical training exercises

Therefore plans are underway to set up libraries at youth brigade centres countrywide to promote the reading habit and improve their general knowledge.

Following this, steps will be taken by the youth brigade to conduct a general knowledge competition and an essay competition among the young rangers.

The Youth Brigade has also taken steps to develop aesthetic talents among youths and hopes to set up its own symphony orchestra this year.

After completing their training period, youth rangers are directed towards training in a vocation of their choice by providing them with a government approved allowance of Rs 10,000 each.

The newly enrolled rangers are given a training in respecting parents and elders so that their good behaviour is acclaimed by their parents.

The Brigade has earned plaudits for starting a computer training course for bhikkhus for the first time in its history.

Shalini Maneesha Dodangoda,
Media – coordinator
National Youth Brigade

Translated by
D P Wickramasinghe