YOUTHS were yesterday exhorted not to be complacent with the country's current development or they would not be able to keep up with challenges in a competitive world, the acting Tutong district officer said.

"Nowadays, the lifestyles of humans have changed because we can no longer run away from the fact that we are now in a global village full of challenges and getting more competitive," said Hj Jamain Momin during yesterday's closing of the Youth Dialogue Session at Tutong Community Hall.

"The development of information communication technology (ICT) and electronic media has provided youths with multiple choices and ultimately changed the way we think,"he said.

However, if youths are not careful, the ICT and electronic media that has been provided will not helpthem to maximise their potential, and may even dissuade them from their role of contributing to the country's future development.

The acting Tutong district officer also mentioned the issue of unemployment in the country, and stated various reasons for this problem.

He explained that the youth dialogue session was organised as one of the reasons to tackle this particular problem.

The youth dialogue aimed to be an opportunity for unemployed youths to find appropriate jobs and at the same time, tackle the problem of youths who depend highly on their parents for money.

"In meeting the global challenges, we must think forward and not backwards as every single youth needs to think more positively and be responsive towards the current development and needs," he added.

He pointed out that efforts have been initiated by the government in providing the youths with the necessary tools to become intellectual, moral, cultural, religious individuals and fully capable of differentiating good and bad influences that arise from globalisation.

These initiatives include free education and he said that education is one of the biggest investment the government and governmental agencies have done for students in Brunei.

These initiatives include sending students to institutions of higher learning outside of Brunei as they are the nation's hope of the future in filling key positions to assist in nation building.

The closing ceremony ended with the acting Tutong district officer presenting certificates of participation to some 100 youths.

The Youth Dialogue was held for two days, on Friday and yesterday.

The Brunei Times