The Key to Holding Out

This article was published on Wednesday, July 17, 2013. I am publishing it as it was, because what it describes still exists in our Venezuela today.

Last weekend I was invited to the tenth-anniversary celebration of the civic institution Forma, which was also closing its program “Youth and the Destiny of the Nation.” The slogan of the gathering, attended by more than four hundred young people from all over the country, was: “Forming Ourselves to Hold Out.”

To say I was impressed by what I saw there is an understatement. I came away even more hopeful about the future of our beloved homeland. The work done throughout our country over these ten years by this group of young people who make up Forma’s leadership (outstanding political scientists, lawyers, journalists, economists and more) is truly admirable.

Their mission is to train young people interested in politics, from every social and political background in the country. It was very moving for me to see young men and women, independents or members of the AD, Copei, Primero Justicia, Voluntad Popular, Un Nuevo Tiempo, Avanzada Progresista and Proyecto Venezuela parties, among others, united to celebrate with Forma, which for a decade has given them the tools to develop their political vocation effectively.

The organization has trained more than fifteen thousand young people (high school and university students) in seminars, workshops, model parliaments, film forums and other activities. Without a doubt, Forma has become the main unified platform for political training of the Venezuelan opposition forces.

For those of us who are not so young (in age), it was wonderful to see so many students who want to train as politicians with the goal of serving, of serving all their fellow Venezuelans! Because Venezuela urgently needs efficient public servants with ethical and moral principles, who will restore the dignity of our battered Nation.

Forma’s president, César Briceño, said that for these young people “their Plan B is to give Plan A everything they’ve got.” These young people know they have to study, that they have to prepare themselves as seriously as the greats, because they are the main protagonists of this turbulent chapter of our history, and they will be the great protagonists in the struggle that must be waged, urgently, to recover the civilian, democratic Republic in Venezuela.

Who would have imagined fifteen years ago that so many young people would want to take part in politics in our country? This is a great thing that must be kept very much in mind. According to Juan Miguel Matheus, Forma’s Executive President, there are not many countries in the world where this phenomenon of youth participation in politics is taking place.

I have always said that one of the wonderful things about these very hard years in Venezuela is that an “all-terrain” generation has been formed, one that longs fervently for a true homeland, a homeland with freedom, justice, development, opportunities and peace for each and every Venezuelan. These young people will be the ones who move this country forward. Of that I, and many others, are completely sure!

Matheus made it very clear that cultivating the political vocation of these young people means accompanying the formation of their minds and their hearts, because political action must be governed by virtue. He also made clear that a politician must be a good person who seeks first the moral good of his own life in order then to be able to serve.

The opening lecture of the event was given by Asdrúbal Aguiar. It was a masterful lecture. I was deeply struck when he said that, in the midst of the stormy circumstances Venezuela is going through, he had lost his hope in this country, and that after getting to know Forma’s work he found a reason to reconcile himself with hope in our Homeland.

I publicly give a thousand thanks to this organization for all it has sown, and continues to sow, throughout the country. I encourage you to keep going with great fortitude, because I am sure that each day you will have more work and the difficulties will be greater. Young people interested in learning about Forma can contact them at www.forma.org.ve and @_Forma.

I will close by telling Forma to keep up this wonderful work. Keep Forming to Hold Out! Harder times will come, we all know that, but there is no fear that can overcome Hope… the Hope of having a better country for our children and grandchildren… the Hope of having the dignified Homeland every Venezuelan deserves.

With formation and with hope we will hold out! And sooner rather than later we will triumph! And only if we have built on solid foundations (which is what you do) will we be able to rebuild our homeland into a great Nation.