Author: Raimundo Colombo *

Source: Diário Catarinense - SC - 21/11/2009

The draft constitutional amendment (PEC) for Youth has been in the Senate for a year. A sad birthday with bureaucracy as its main character. Provisional measures, sent by the federal government, block the voting agenda and prevent the proposal from being voted. The battle to reduce bureaucratic procedures and overcome this obstacle remains my struggle, especially when it comes to a project that will benefit 48 million people. This population contingent, between 15 and 29 years old, urgently needs public policies that guarantee the right to education, leisure, professionalization, health and culture.

Statistics show that 49% of young people between 18 and 29 are unemployed; 60% of prisoners in Brazil are aged in this same age group and, of the more than 100 violent deaths that occurred in the country, this year, 41% were people between 15 and 29 years old. On the computer screen, on paper or in Congress, they look like numbers, but in reality, these data represent families that live daily with dramas such as lack of income, violence, drugs and the neglect of public power. In addition to the law, the current regrettable situation will be changed based on principles and values.

Young people must have guaranteed, in the Constitution, effective actions for psychological, economic and social development. One of the best actions to take young people out of marginality and prevent them from entering crime is to practice sports. Every day, in the news, it is possible to see examples of how public and private initiatives in the area contribute to the formation of the young citizen. Sport helps in discipline, in respect for others, in group living and also in accepting the victories and defeats, constant throughout life. Guaranteeing the rights of youth is essential for our Brazil to become a more just and competitive country in the future.

* Raimundo Colombo, Senator (DEM / SC)