Guidelines for a youth leader

A new book titled ComMutiny, takes two powerful elements – youth and leadership, and concocts them to reach the ideal of psycho-social transformation and inclusiveness to create dynamic spaces to mentor youth as leaders of tomorrow. Penned by Arjun Shekhar and Mahamaya Navlakha, the book encourages the ‘leaders of tomorrow’ to feel safe, encouraged, supported and valued as they set out on their journey of self-examination.

It is easier to grasp the new book by taking a look at its background, in terms of the one that preceded it. Called Ocean In a Drop, by ComMutiny – The Youth Collective, the same umbrella organisation that presented ComMutiny, it talked about three crucial aspects of youth development: understanding the self, building meaningful relationships, and impacting society.

It also raised questions about ‘how’ one is supposed to do achieve these goals. ComMutiny, therefore, is an immersive walk-book that illustrates how youth-centric development structures can be practically created and sustained. “It looks at how society has to stop looking at the youth through the lens of a demographic dividend and how it needs to start engaging with them at a political, societal and interpersonal level,” says Navlakha. 

This fictionalised nonfiction book follows the protagonist, a young leader, as he tries to create a sustainable fifth space. He does so by celebrating his follies as he attempts to co-mould the rural BPO that he founded into a fifth space. Through his journey, we are exposed to his testing times, and how it all leads to learning and renewal of the self and the society.

“It is targeted at youth organisations, groups, policymakers, and public institutions who want to implement strategies for making a psychosocial shift from deeply embedded notions of power to free spaces for dialogue. It’s about giving emphasis to learning as opposed to achievement, to collaboration over competition, and making sure young people operate from a liberal standpoint,” says Navlakha.

Both authors were able to co-author this book without any differences because of their shared values, which they claim, guided them to view failure without getting defeated, to take criticism positively, and to value joy. For a young nation like India, with a population comprising more than 50 per cent people below the age of 25 and more than 65 per cent below age 35, it becomes all the more necessary to give wings to youth leaders so that they can leverage a dynamic tomorrow.

Publisher: 
Konark Publishers Pvt Ltd
Pages: 248
Price: L440