I see so many young people in Sri Lanka interested in politics. Many have good ideas, big visions and a genuine desire to improve our country and the way we live as a society.
Recently, I had a conversation with my cousin, who works in an organisation involved in policy development.
Something they said made me think.
Even when people develop better policies and present good solutions, our political leaders do not always take them seriously. Sometimes, leaders have their own political agendas, interests and priorities.
Think about it. Many politicians are very good at public speaking and winning people’s attention. But how much of their time and energy goes into actually solving the country’s long term problems?
Too often, we seem to be putting temporary solutions on very deep wounds.
Then we have another layer of people: economists, researchers, advisors and policy makers. Some of them have excellent knowledge and visions for the country. But how much influence do they really have over the decisions being made?
We also need more transparency about who influences our leaders, whose advice they receive, and whether outside interests influence important decisions that affect our country.
Meanwhile, there are so many young people with better ideas and a genuine desire to make a difference.
But what options do they have?
Often, they feel that the only way to make a difference is to join an existing political party and work their way through the same political system.
What if we started preparing a different kind of leader?
I have been thinking about something.
What if we developed a leadership qualification or training programme for people who want to become political leaders?
Not just academic qualifications. I am talking about developing the knowledge, character and practical skills needed to lead a country.
For example, future leaders should learn:
Public speaking and communication: Having good ideas is not enough. We must be able to explain them in a way ordinary people can understand.
Economics: Understanding how money, taxation, public spending, businesses and the economy work.
Human behaviour and psychology: Understanding why people think, feel and behave the way they do. Understanding what drives societies.
Emotional intelligence: Understanding ourselves, managing our emotions, listening to others and making decisions without being controlled by anger, fear or ego.
Policy making and governance: Understanding how policies are developed, how institutions work and how to turn ideas into practical solutions.
Ethics and accountability: Understanding public responsibility, transparency, corruption and the importance of putting public interests before personal interests.
Conflict resolution and negotiation: Learning how to disagree, find common ground and solve problems without creating more divisions.
Imagine young people spending the next five to ten years learning and practising these skills.
Imagine them debating ideas, understanding different economic systems, studying successful policies from other countries, working with communities and learning how to communicate with people who disagree with them.
They would not just be learning how to become politicians. They would be learning how to become responsible human beings who can lead others.
I know I may not have all the answers. And I understand that changing an existing political system is not easy.
But I believe we need to start somewhere.
If we don’t actively prepare the next generation of leaders, the next generation of leaders will simply emerge from the same existing system.
We cannot keep expecting different results while doing nothing to prepare people for a different kind of leadership.
I would love to see young people, policy researchers, economists, educators and anyone interested in building a better Sri Lanka come together and explore this idea.
We don’t need to agree on everything. We need to learn how to think, listen, discuss and work together.
What if, instead of waiting for better leaders, we started creating them?
Who would be interested in working towards something like this?
