World Responsible Youth Day is a day to mark the responsibility that youth of the world must imbibe. The day is celebrated on the first Sunday of every year (For example, 4th Jan was the first Sunday of 2009).
In the year 2009, this day was celebrated in Mumbai, India by the youth of the Rotaract District. A peace rally was organised across the city to mark this day. Street performances were conducted to communicate the value of peace to the general public. The slogan of "Don't ask for peace, give peace" was chanted throughout the rally.
With the ushering in of New Year, 2009, all of us have made resolutions like we do at the commencement of every New Year. However, the difference this year marks is that, many of us have in different ways, promised to do something or the other ‘for the society’ and ‘for a better India’. This seems to have been the main resolution taken by hundreds of youngsters across the city. This was clearly seen on Sunday, the 4th of January, 2009. On this day people across Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai witnessed a fleet of about hundred young, enthusiastic citizens loaded onto a well decorated truck and cars going all over the city.
These were the young and responsible Rotaracters of Rotaract R.I. District 3140. A few months back, Rotaract District 3140 introduced the WORLD RESPONSIBLE YOUTH DAY. Starting from 2009, this day had been pledged to be observed on the first Sunday of every year here on. The event was flagged in 2009 in the form of a PEACE TOUR. Promoting the idea, ‘Don’t just ask for peace….GIVE PEACE’, young, enthusiastic Rotaracters went on a peace tour on Sunday, which started from Marine Drive, continued through Dadar, Santacruz, Ghatkopar, Thane and Navi Mumbai, before ending at Chembur. This whole day event involved musical plays being performed, giving out messages of peace and calling for people to be positive, pro active and responsible. These youngsters shouted out slogans from atop the truck, asking people to go ahead and vote, to keep the city clean and to create and spread peace all around. The entire tour started at 8am and ended at 9pm. Completely engrossed into the idea of being responsible and dutiful, there was not a single sign of tiredness on any of these young faces even after a long journey of thirteen hours. A main reason behind this, apart from their own genuine feelings for the cause might be the immense public response that they received wherever they went. As the District Rotaract Representative, DRR Rtr. Ravikiran Apte said, “The youth has a lot of energy and enthusiasm. But it’s extremely important for this energy to be channelized in the right direction and for the right cause, especially in times like these. By initiating such a movement, we wish to help the citizens channelize their thoughts and energy into the appropriate actions.” All these Rotaracters have promised to themselves to be responsible, dutiful, proactive and mainly, to be the change they wish to see around. As said by a delighted member of the team, these youngsters are very happy as they can see their thoughts having reached the masses effectively.
This event was supported by 13 other districts all over India. They simultaneously undertook similar events in their respective districts. This venture was hugely supported by the Rotary, Innerwheel and Interact families too. This event was a follow up to a successfully conducted panel discussion called, The Summit, held on 14th of December, 2008. It can be clearly seen that this is nothing less than a small revolution taken up responsibly and is sure to grow bigger and wider as days pass by.
