To properly introduce the domains of youth stewardship, it is important to identify the things which serve as indicators of the youths’ sphere of responsibility. Here, I discuss 5 things which indicate and justify our responsibility of stewardship in specific domains. I have chosen these indicators for 3 reasons:

-They point to our dependence on certain domains for the fulfillment of our human potential,

-They show the power we have (explicit & implicit) to bring about change, and

-They situate us within a continuum in which we receive a heritage and will in time, leave important legacies to others.

We, the youth, recognize our domains of stewardship by considering the following:

1.  Needs, Rights & Entitlements

2. Dominance by Number

3. Dominance by Influence

4. The Heritage Factor

5. The Legacy Factor

NEEDS, RIGHTS & ENTITLEMENTS

Our needs tend to be indicative of our rights. When our needs determine our ability to attain our human potential, it is fair to say we have a right to have our needs met. To go further, when our needs are prescribed as Rights and Entitlements, they serve not only to protect us in the here and now, but also to tell us what our society ought to be and where our larger goals as a people or nation ought to be directed.

However, the idea of ‘need’ often suggests vulnerability (consciously and subconsciously)  and indeed the extent and forms of vulnerability differ as we move forward in life. The ramifications of vulnerability increase in significance with time. This is why as we grow and mature, our vulnerability must no longer suggest weakness and inaction. Our vulnerability should shows us that we ought to take action. The imperative to act is itself a tremendous source of strength and this strength is absolutely essential in our duty of stewardship.

DOMINANCE BY NUMBER

The reality is that the youth are the majority in certain areas as a result of our dependencies, age, level of education, level of development, and long-term prospects.

For instance, the youth are the most regular patrons of cyber cafes for obvious reasons. We tend to make use of amenities such as public transport systems and public libraries (where they are available anyway) also for obvious reasons. It follows that the youth are often most affected by factors within these areas. In addition, issues of marginalization or neglect can often be identified in nascent form or in disguise by the state of affairs within these areas.

This is why demographic dominance should be a strong indicator of our duty of stewardship. Indeed, demographic dominance often points to a shared, underlying need

DOMINANCE BY INFLUENCE

There are certain areas where the youth can easily bring about change as a result of what I call ‘dominance by influence’. A good example of this kind of dominance can be seen within the family. It is often the case that we have more influence within our families than do outsiders. It is also important to note that this kind of influence on our families is expected.

The same is true of our friends, colleagues and peers. While this kind of dominance is common, its source is rooted in principles of shared needs, shared beliefs, shared values, solidarity, etc.

From experience, we understand the nature and impact of this kind of dominance. The negative connotations of ‘Peer Pressure’ (familiar to us) for instance, should show that there is a need for us to be conscious of when and how this kind of dominance comes into play. Since we face challenges that affect many aspects of our lives, we should recognize our dominance by influence as the power to bring about change in different ways (with relative ease), within areas of our lives where change is needed.

THE HERITAGE FACTOR

We have a heritage where we find we are entrusted to do either of the following: To continue with, To keep in remembrance, To be faithful or To be committed. And this task is often entrusted to us with regard to diverse things beyond our traditions. These include maintaining practices and beliefs associated with the communities to which we belong such as our schools, workplaces, social watering holes, etc.

While in some cases, the source of the mandate of Heritage is specific, in other cases, both the mandate and its source are diffuse. The point I wish to highlight here is that we are empowered to preserve a heritage not because we are so commanded or ordered.

We are empowered by our ownership of the very things we inherit. What is true of inheritance understood from the narrow view of tradition is also true of all the things we inherit as we grow and progress in society: we have a responsibility and a need to protect and preserve the best in them.

THE LEGACY FACTOR

The Legacy Factor is the last and most significant of the 5 indicators of our domains of stewardship. My thesaurus suggests the words ‘Heritage’ and ‘Legacy’ are interchangeable. There is however, a subtle difference between the two which is critical to my concept of Youth Stewardship.

The continuity of society through time tells us that a heritage often precedes a legacy. We grow into our inheritance and with time, we will leave a legacy behind for others to inherit.

Though interconnected, my main point is this: That where a focus on Heritage tends to emphasize the need to Preserve and Protect, the focus on Legacy emphasizes the need to Create, Reinvent, Update and sometimes, Abolish.

Why? Because our legacy must of necessity improve upon our heritage. This is the crux of our shared conviction that things need to change. The legacy factor is of utmost importance to the Nigerian Youth because we suffer under the burden of a general heritage that is flawed, damaged and inadequate.

Having a Heritage is a good indicator of our duty of stewardship. However, the need to create a Legacy transforms this duty into an absolute responsibility.

CONCLUSION

These 5 indicators clearly show how to recognize our spheres of responsibility. It should also show that we become stewards not by initiation or by induction or by appointment. We, the youth, are stewards by virtue of our very existence. Indeed, active and productive stewardship is the right of every youth.

These 5 criteria also show that many areas can rightly be considered domains of youth stewardship. In the next article however, I will identify what I believe to be the 5 main domains.