Mentality In Nation Building

Mentality In Nation Building

By Daniel Semere

The issue of nation building has always been a complex and difficult process. And especially for countries like Eritrea where natural and man made challenges are plenty, it can only be much more demanding. Unlike many think, nation building is far from just being an issue of economic viability of a given country. So concluding that mere existence of huge economic potential is the answer to this particular question is a misunderstanding.

Viable nation building can only be realized through interplay of the social, economic, political, and cultural aspects of a given society. This is what creates a sustainable momentum that can establish a reliable institution to carryout the task with effectiveness. And though the ultimate objective of nation building is establishing a country free from ignorance and poverty, its components like civilized culture, progressive economy, stable political situation, social change marked by fair distribution of resources, and flexible institution are by themselves ends that should be met.

To achieve all these therefore, the proper organization and utilization of the entire resources of the nation becomes a prerequisite. And in this equation, the resource that precedes everything in importance is our human resources. And as mentioned time and again it should take in to account not only quantity but quality as well. The quality of human resource in turn should consider the acquirement of knowledge and skill and employment of values and principle of one’s society.

As it is always the case, the government, as a highest organization of a people, has a decisive role in the initial stage of nation building. In this particular stage the government has the responsibility of stipulating priorities, drawing appropriate and timely policies, follow-up and regulation of its plans, and directing the society towards the aspired development. In such cases like ours where the private sector is not well developed, this responsibility can only be pronounced. In this circumstance, it should assume the role of investing in crucial sector of strategical importance. Ensuring the security of the nation is also another challenging task. This can also include creating a conducive environment for development and redistribution and allocation of resources in just manner. Setting these and other priorities is what the people who bestowed the authority on the government expect.

This juncture is a time where society ascends towards a better stage and individuals become beneficiary of the opportunity it creates. But the utilization of this double fold benefit depends upon the proper understanding of the whole process of nation building and its priorities, and the effective exploitation of the opportunities. Now priorities of nation building are determined by the prevailing situation of the country and highly subjected to changes based on different stages. While serving the nation, in this process of nation building, it is the youth who should turn every opportunity in to their advantages. This is particularly of great importance to Eritrea as the youth are at the forefront of the country’s endeavor towards economic liberation and self reliance. The promising economic potential should therefore, be analyzed from this vantage point.

Eritrea is at the threshold of economic take-off. The crucial tasks that await Eritrea therefore, are numerous. Creating an environment and building an infrastructure where investment could flourish, installing and improving educational institution that can supply skilled and knowledgeable youth, agricultural projects that can ensure food security, and instilling behavioral change that can lead to development can be mentioned. Tuning our mentality and understanding, and gearing our energy towards these priorities hence is what is expected of the youth. Our aspired skills and knowledge should be galvanized towards these priorities. This is not only for the benefit of the community as a whole, but even at individual level such awareness shall guarantee maximum outcome and benefit.

To reiterate the above point of great importance, the youth, as the first beneficiaries of opportunities from the aforementioned tasks in nation building, should line their aspiration with the highly demanded skills and knowledge. The government in its part needs to deliver the necessary information about the intended national plan and goals in advance. In this era of information, our capacity in delivering the important information has limitations. Whatever profession or field our youth are employed in, one thing is certain. Their devotion and satisfaction depends upon their readiness and mentality towards the given challenges. Aligning their readiness and mentality with the demand of nation building, there is no doubt, they would harvest miracles.

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