Crime is a complicated problem in my community today. The problem is made worse by the skyrocketing unemployment rates in the country. In fact, in some communities, it is no longer safe to go out at night due to security reasons. The truth is that as the economic conditions become worse, crime rate is getting higher. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), criminals include street gangs, murderers, terrorists, drug dealers, car hijackers, and burglars. One notable element about these activities is that youths between the age of ten and thirty play a prominent role in executing these heinous acts. Hate crimes and ethnic violence has also been propagated by the youths (Howard, 2009). Diverting the attention of youths from these activities will not only reduce crime levels but also create employment. It will also lead to the creation of a harmonious society.
Integrating the youth into community development is a perfect way that can bring change to my community. To achieve this, several decisive steps must be taken in to attract a sizeable population of local youths into the organization. With little resources, I would develop a website and use that platform to inform the youths about the benefits of joining my youth community development organization. I would also put posters in my college or use the social media like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to attract more youths.
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The next step will be setting up a vocational training centre to educate the youths on various technical areas of concern. Those who are already in colleges or graduates would get a chance to practice what they learnt in class or even teach their fellow youths. There is a number of skills that the youths can be equipped with and which they can use for their benefit and the benefit of the community. They include training in electronics repair, health care courses, agriculture, environmental conservation, and disaster management. These activities will promote active participation of the youth and incorporate diverse interests and cultures of the community. Members will also develop leadership skills and promote the realization of long-term sustainability of the community (Community Development Society, 2013).
The youths would then be dispatched to the community to serve in different capacities. In collaboration with other players, they can offer medical services, plant trees, clean up the city, and offer training to members of the public. They can also organize conferences and address various facets affecting the society such as drug abuse and crime; they will also be helpful in improving literacy levels or even offering motivational talks in academic institutions. This can be done during weekends when youths are not attending school and when they are most vulnerable to commit crimes.
In doing so, the society will integrate them, and they will get to know about the plight of the disadvantaged in the society. The youths will also be able to discover unexploited opportunities and invest in them thus creating employment opportunities. They will also get a chance to meet prospective employers who may consider employing them in the future. In communities where discrimination based on race, wealth or religion is still rampant, youths from different backgrounds will have a chance to work together in harmony and act as examples in promoting peaceful co-existence. It will also act as a training ground for future political responsibilities (Obama, 2004). Focus will also be put on recreation activities such as sports, hiking, tourism, entertainment, retreat, and feasting (Joseph, Reed and Jacquelyne, 2005).
Though the whole plan will take considerable time to be realized, its fruits and advantages will overweight its disadvantages. More than seventy percent of the youths in my community will be absorbed; this will drastically reduce crime to negligible levels