When my children were in school, and I had to take up their lessons before exams, I would always start with the meaning of the title of the lesson! So well, now it’s your turn! What does Youth Empowerment mean? Wikipedia defines it as “an attitudinal, structural, and cultural process whereby young people gain the ability, authority, and agency to make decisions and implement change in their own lives and the lives of other people, including youth and adults”.
While the word actually gained popularity during the 1960’s when students in the US began to get involved actively in politics, in a more generic sense, it is an important part of childhood development and an essential phase of the transition to adulthood. This transition occurs during late teens, with a growing independence in making life choices. More important than making decisions is the ability to adhere to those decisions and to face consequences of their choices. I would say it is also about having the courage to learn from their mistakes and reverse their decisions.
That seems like lot of big words. But what exactly does empowerment mean to you? If empowerment is about making decisions, do you even know what choices you have? For starters, in this article, we will give you choices for spending your time with friends and networking. And let you decide!
Most of you had some hobby when you were in school, isn’t it?
Some of the work in school involved chart making, projects and other cool things that were fun. But by the time you came to Intermediate (or plus two), there is hardly any life beyond your books and competitive exams. In fact, all this natural process of empowerment goes down the drain when you can’t even remain absent from college without getting a dressing down from the principal.
After this painful but necessary process for getting into a college, you heave a sigh of relief and generally spend a couple of months roaming around the roads and the malls, watching movies and actively tweeting on the social network until you get tied again to a college. By then you have forgotten that you had any hobbies and that there is any life beyond movies and the internet. Your new found college is just an extension of your intermediate college and even the co-curricular activities there become a bore for you. With hours of commuting to do, is there even time for anything else? But when you do have time, you want to try something new.
Would you like to know the cool things you can do as youngsters around your city or town?
Are there any new ways of having fun and hanging out with your friends?
Yes, there are. And you will realize that they also add value to your personality and profile by the time you graduate, making a good case for a job or an MBA. And most of them are absolutely free!
(These clubs are researched for Hyderabad, but most of them exist for other cities also. If your town doesn’t have one, you can be the pioneer to start it)
Shed your stage fear and become a public speaker
Hyderabad Toastmasters
http://www.meetup.com/hyderabadtoastmasters
Vision Toastmasters Club
http://www.meetup.com/vision
Young Orators Club
http://yocs.in
Elan Toastmasters Club
http://www.meetup.com/elantm
These clubs help you make better presentations, to be listened to again & again. They help men and women learn the arts of speaking listening, thinking and leadership – vital skills. Membership is open to people from different backgrounds and all walks of life. It is an excellent networking opportunity.
Watch birds, Walk on the Rocks, Walk around heritage sites…
There are a bunch of clubs which meet regularly and do different things!
TREE Foundation is one such organization engaged in Environment Education, Sea Turtle Conservation and Community Development. It is inspired and guided by the world famous environmentalist Dr. Jane Goodall and is a member of Roots and Shoots International Network, of the Dr. Jane Goodall Institute. See their site http://www.treefoundationindia.org
Rock Walks are nature treks to different rocky areas in and around Hyderabad. They usually take place in the afternoon (and occasionally in the early morning) of the third Sunday of every month.
This is the initiative by the Society to Save Rocks, to preserve and protect the spectacular ancient granite formations of the Deccan Plateau - a natural wonder of stony ridges and hillocks shaped into picturesque balancing forms. See their site
http://www.saverocks.org
Spotting birds is quite an art and it can be turned into an interesting hobby. Bird Watcher’s Society of Andhra Pradesh (BSAP) started in 1980, is the right place to be in if you want to spend a Sunday visiting the wilderness in and around Hyderabad to watch birds. Two or three times a year they also organize three-four day camps at natural bird habitats for members.
Hyderabad Aquarium Enthusiasts
Hone your literary and intellectual skills with reading, theater and quizzing LICH - Literary, Intellectual & Cultural Hub - http://www.meetup.com/LICH-HYD
K-circle - http://www.kcircle.com
Samskruta Bharati (Samskrutam)
http://intellibriefs.blogspot.com/2010/06/free-10-day-spoken-samskrit.html
Alliance Francaise (French)
http://hyderabad.afindia.org
Maxmuller Bhavan (German)
http://www.goethe.de/ins/in/hyd/lrn/deu/enindex.htm
Sutradhar (Theatre/Drama)
http://www.sutradharactors.com/AboutUs.aspx
Learn foreign languages, share and discuss books and mingle with like minded book lovers. These clubs act as a catalyst to rekindle the dying passion to read and to attract and encourage others to cultivate the habit of reading.
K -circle for some really intense quizzing.
Are you the intense computer/science geek?
Linux Meetup Group
http://www.meetup.com/linuxhyd/
VOIP & Asterix PBX Meetup Group
http://www.meetup.com/The-Hyderabad-VOIP-Asterisk-PBX-Meetup-Group
iPhone Developers/Entrepreneurs meetup! http://www.meetup.com/Hyderabad-iPhone-Developers-Entrepreneurs-meetup
IT Professionals Club (HIP Club)
http://www.meetup.com/HIPClub
Cloud Computing Group
http://www.meetup.com/The-Hyderabad-Cloud-Computing-Group
Android App Developers / Entrepreneurs meetup group
http://www.meetup.com/Hyderabad-Android-App-Developers-Entrepreneurs-meetup-group/
Technical Writers Meetup Group
http://www.meetup.com/techwriter-1
This is a great platform to discuss about the latest trends, marketing and other entrepreneurial opportunities in the industry. Developers, Administrators and Users (novice and experienced) can discuss technical, non- technical aspects, development technologies and techniques. Platform for practicing and aspiring professionals to meet up with others in the industry and build their network. Make new friends. Share knowledge and experiences. Pursue interests with like-minded people.
Do you have a spiritual inclination?
The Healing Touch
http://www.meetup.com/Thehealingtouch/
Heal Your Life
http://www.meetup.com/Heal-your-life-worshops
Life Research Academy
http://www.liferesearchacademy.com
Pyramid Meditation
http://www.pyramidmeditation.org
These groups are for people who want to go on a personal spiritual journey and add meaning and define purpose to their lives by making a difference and to others lives as well. They have usually meetings on Sundays and some of their activities are also free.
Get some real action with Adventure/Exercise/Outdoor activities
The Great Hyderabad Adventure Club
http://www.meetup.com/ghac
Hyderabad Sports Club
http://meetup.ghac.in
The Great Hyderabad Bicycling Club
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyderabad_bicycling_club,
Blog: http://hyderabadbicyclingclub.blogspot.com
Hyderabad Runners
http://www.hyderabadrunners.com/
Great people, breath-taking places, fitness and fun. There are no excuses not to join! You will find people from all walks of life and it’s a terrific opportunity for networking.
Some cool hobbies to cultivate
EveningHour Club
http://www.meetup.com/EveningHour/
Members meet for edutainment - sometimes it’s for the children and sometimes it is for the adults. Book Discussions, Meet-the-author, elocution, drawing, writing, story-telling, hobby classes including painting, drawing, arts & crafts and a whole lot more happens at EveningHour!
The Hyderabad Facereading Club
http://www.meetup.com/Facereading/
Hyderabad Salsa Meetup Group
http://www.meetup.com/Salsa-Hyderabad/
Hyderabad Amateur Radio
http://www.niar.org/profile.html
Association of Hyderabad Amateur Astronomer
Want to get a feel of NGO/Social Awareness?
Breathe - Greener and Cleaner India
http://www.meetup.com/breatheindia
We often do not correlate between our actions and the outcome of our actions, and a few them have been more destructive and denting the very future of Planet Earth. The Carbon Footprint is rapidly taking a toll on Earth. “Breathe” is an initiative to provoke a thought.
Svechha - http://www.svechha.org/wp
Cause: children education, support for senior citizens, women reforms, healthcare, village development and increase awareness on civic responsibilities
Atlanta Foundation
http://www.atlantafoundation.net
Cause: changing lives through education
Samrita Trust
http://www.samritatrust.org/samrita/index.aspx
Cause: learning devices for the visually impaired
If this is not enough, take your own pick. Click here for more information and more groups (in and around Hyderabad):