Young People are the Leaders of Today

Anyone reading the newspapers in recent weeks could be forgiven for thinking young people are nothing but trouble.

Whether it's the 'Hell Boys' in Edlington with their terrorising of the local community, or the gang of young men in Liverpool who killed 11-year-old Rhys Jones and then attempted to conceal the crime, there is a temptation to completely write-off young people - especially those who live in some of our most deprived communities.

However, the great majority of young people in this country are not troublemakers. Many are hard working, committed to their local communities and making a positive difference. There is nothing to be gained in demonising a whole section of society.

We all have a responsibility to the young, not just to our own offspring or our families but also to others. In Africa there is a saying that 'it takes a whole village to raise a child'. There is little to be gained from looking at which council or social service is to blame when a young person is abused or abuses another. What of the parents, the relatives and friends ? What of the responsibility of the local community who may – through fear - have looked the other way ?

The state must have a role to play in safeguarding but it also has a role to play in supporting communities and individuals to own their responsibilities to one another, not least through the support of the families who are the building block of any community. The state must support marriage because, in creation, "it is given as the foundation of family life in which children may be born and nurtured in accordance with God's will, to His praise and glory."

A recent report by the Centre for Social Justice entitled 'Every Family Matters' called upon Parliament and parties across the political spectrum to recognise that healthy marriages build healthy families, and healthy families build a healthy society.

The report highlighted that whilst approximately half of all cohabiting couples with children will split by the time the child is 5, the equivalent figure for married couples is 1 in 12. As a society we have allowed marriage to become devalued and whilst there is always a financial cost to family breakdown, the impact upon young people is incalculable. Marriage has suffered in terms of central and local government funding, fiscal opportunities, welfare benefits and legal reforms.

In terms of finance alone the report estimated that family breakdown fuels the annual cost of crime - £60 billion; drug and alcohol abuse - £40 billion; and educational failure - £20 billion.

The report's findings have wider support reflected in polling carried out by YouGov showed that 57% believed the law should promote marriage in preference to other kinds of family structure. An overwhelming 85% backed a tax break to promote marriage.

There are many who would argue that individual lifestyle choice must be taken into account in any discussion of marriage. My own view is that the emphasis on individual choice often comes at a greater cost. The undermining of marriage and its impact upon young people and their development is just one example.

President Obama was right with his speech to schoolchildren in America this week. We need every single one of our children to develop their talents, skills and intellect so they can help solve our most difficult problems.

That is as true of children in Wakefield, Yorkshire as it is of children in Wakefield High, Arlington. Our children have the same aspirations and determination no matter where they live.

But what of the society we are shaping for them? Where are their role models?

A recent study suggests that among adults there is no longer a universal standard of what honesty means. Is it dishonest to make an insurance claim for pre-existent damage to your car? Ninety two percent of women thought it was, but if they were members of a jury 53 percent wouldn't want to convict someone for it. The figures for men were 85 percent and 45 percent respectively. The academic researchers conclude from their study that attitudes to honesty are so variable that the legal standard needs to be revised.

When the former government minister David Mellor – a Chelsea football supporter – was asked what he thought of the punishment on his club for breaking the rules over the employment of overseas players, he called it sanctimonious. His justification was that all clubs broke the rules.

Harlequins Rugby Club, caught out in 'bloodgate' that ridiculous cheating episode over a non-injury, disclosed that dishonesty of that kind was not uncommon.

What does that say to young people ?

People often say that young people are the leaders of tomorrow, but they are not. I believe they are the leaders of today. That is why the Church of England is vested in working alongside young people, in and out of school, to ensure the society they inherit is one they can be part of building today.

I am fed up to the back teeth with the bankrupt political correctness which refuses to recognise the distinctive impact made on this country by the Church of England and other churches. More people do unpaid work for church groups than any other organization, with Churchgoers contributing 23.2 million hours voluntary service each month in their local communities outside the church.

The Church of England alone provides activities outside church worship in the local community for over half a million children and young people aged under 16 years, and 38,000 young people aged 16 to 25 years. Over 136,000 volunteers run activity groups for young people which are sponsored by the Church of England. The Church employs more youth workers than any other organization and is involved on a daily basis trying to make the lives of young people better.

We are not seeking medals for that, but rather encouragement and, where needed, state support for projects in the more needy areas. In response to parliamentary questions in March 2009 it was revealed that the Department for Local Government and Communities has given £25,000 to the British Humanist Association from its "Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund" to run local campaigns promoting atheism. Meanwhile, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has given them a further £35,000 of taxpayers' money to promote secularism in the public services under equality and human rights laws.

Last night I launched the Archbishop of York Youth Trust with an awards ceremony recognising the achievements of young people who have been inspired to change their communities for the better.

Take for example Naomi Cumming who has been involved with a youth club at a church in Armley, a deprived area of Leeds, for the last 10 years. Naomi describes her area as one 'where kids as young as ten are on the streets drinking alcohol and getting into trouble'. She could have chosen to take the path of others who join gangs or get involved in fights and criminality, but instead she has decided to give something back, volunteering to run a weekly drop in centre for 5-11 year olds where she is involved in feeding children, providing activities and ensuring they have a safe place to be. Naomi is 15. Archbishop Desmond Tutu said of her: "you are my hero. You are the bright star of my future."

Valuing people, and allowing them to share their gifts, helps not only build self-esteem but also stronger communities. These are the new change-makers. The new Good Samaritans. Those who commit to belief in action. Those who believe in engagement with problems, and solutions via togetherness and hard work.

And we need to ensure there is no disconnection between the grass roots and government. Too often we see governments who are too focused on league tables rather than real change. We hear of record academic achievement in our schools, but then see reduced job opportunities in the workplace.

Strategies where we are told every child matters, but still we see an increasing gap between rich and poor. The most vulnerable must not be allowed to fall by the wayside. They must not be forgotten.

We must do more. We need to give young people in particular a moral compass, so that they can be emboldened to change the world.