Bridging gap between officials and the youth

The meeting and communication between the officials and the youth is utmost important for narrowing the widening gap between various segments of society. This is because of the wrong information the youth receive on social media which spread, in most cases, rumours, among the people. Such meetings dispel the clouds of suspicion and bridge the widening gap separating the two sides. One of such meetings was organised recently between the youth and the Minister of Tourism. It was held soon after iftar and continued until 11:30 pm. In the meeting, the youth raised many legitimate questions. Some of these questions were very good and from which one can benefit. Some of these questions were due to misinformation spread by various types of media. The meeting was frank and clear. It was held in open environment. That is why it dispelled clouds of suspicion among the youth. They had come to know what is happening in the tourism sector of the country, its challenges, hopes and aspirations. When officials talked about issues raised during the meeting, these youth realised they were wrong. Whatever information they had were far from reality. They also realised they should not heed to the rumours. The information which came from unknown sources were unreliable. The meeting was organised by the Ministry of Tourism with the team ‘Wallah Nasta’ahhal’. It saw participation from a large number of youth from various governorates of the Sultanate. They included those who were interested in tourism as well as social media enthusiasts. They posed their questions and queries to the Minister of Tourism and other officials of the ministry directly. There was complete transparency and frankness during the deliberations. From this meeting, it was clear that the driving force behind these youth was their love to their country and their aspirations to keep their nation on top of everything. Such meetings, if organised by National Youth Committee with the government organisations, will play a significant role in bridging the gap. It will be a very positive approach and will improve the image in society and youth circles. Such meetings and communication serve as a wall of resistance against the flood of misinformation on social media. This is required particularly at a time when poison is being spread to target national interests, undermining the confidence and trust in the people and state agencies. This helps in opening up a door for dialogue between various segments of society and the state organs. There is no doubt the efforts made by the government organisations on social networking platforms and media are all good. Even though there is huge focus on their presence on these platforms, but it can never be an alternative to direct meetings aimed at dispelling misgivings and increasing communication. Perhaps the meeting of the Minister of Tourism with the youth was a wonderful model of such communication. We hope that the government agencies will organise periodic meetings with youth and civil society to clarify policies, plans and programmes. It is important for the younger generation to be aware of these policies and its details. This would thwart all designs meant for malicious and misleading propaganda. Lack of communication results in a lot of misunderstanding. This is not a healthy thing in society or state. This is why many methods have been devised to expand communication levels with the people and government organisations everywhere in the world. The direct communication, where youth are given an opportunity to question and get their answers in detail, is the best method of dispelling misunderstandings particularly in the era of social media. The Ministry of Tourism has set an example for all other government organisations in this regard. Other government agencies are expected to learn from it.