Building Connection: How the Dubai Youth Group is Promoting a Common Mission Amongst Youth and Strengthening Community Bonds

In 2021, I decided to bring my learnings from SRMD to my friends in Dubai, wanting to spread our way of life. So, with a group of friends, I founded the Dubai Youth Group: following the 5-S program to promote our common mission to realise one’s true self and serve others selflessly. We are a small group of teenagers looking to strengthen our bonds to overcome the challenges that come with teenage life. Twice a month, at various members’ houses across Dubai, we hold our meeting sessions, which incorporate each of the 5-S’s. This unique program is designed to improve each aspect of our lives, from mental ability to physical stamina, from performance talent, to inner equanimity.

I absolutely love how multifaceted DYG is. Since joining as a founding member in 2021, DYG has been an outlet for me to experience so many interesting new things. In meetings, we learn how to live life in a better way and then try to bring those teachings into our day-to-day lifves. the skills I learn in DYG meetings helps me grow as a person, and truly does make a difference in the community.

The first of the 5-S’s is Satsang - hour-long discourses that give us wit, wisdom, and spiritual wealth. At DYG sessions, we come together to listen to Satsang, and through it, learn strategies to overcome the challenges of teenage life, including valuing discipline and organization to succeed academically. Satsang is a keystone of our mission, as it provides us with the inspiration to work on ourselves and reach out to benefit the community, whilst being wholesome and exciting. DYG promotes this common mission of strengthening community bonds, as Satsang gives us wisdom that resonates with modern youth.

One of the useful Satsangs I have heard so far this year was ‘the Formula for Success’, which taught me how to maintain a calm mind, sharpen my intellect, and do hard and right work to be successful in my endeavours; this has really helped in school. While Satsang definitely gives us the inspiration to act upon what is being taught, some people find it more challenging than others to do this. The initial excitement that comes from listening to the discourses gets diluted by the million things we talk about every day, from cricket to   to the pressure and workload of studies. It may happen that we lose sight of the learnings from Satsang, so us teens perpetually encourage one another to continue practising skills learnt on our group chat.

The second of the 5-S’s we practise is Sadhana. This component allows us to reflect, recharge, and reform ourselves. Sadhana involves the heightened awareness of our daily activities to follow a mindful lifestyle. We practise through fun group experiments and activities, through which DYG members gain skills for self-improvement, which contribute to our mission to realise one’s true self.

Sadhana seems like a dry, onerous practice, but DYG makes it fun. Every meeting, the group decides on  a single experiment to practice throughout the 2-weeks break between sessions. One of my favourites of all time (which I consider to have been very fruitful) was the no-devices experiment: every member tried to maintain 14 days off all social media, and monitored their screen time on leisure apps like YouTube. While it wasn’t possible for us to achieve (or sustainably maintain) this completely, the reduced time spent on devices was used on other activities that really benefited us; I finished all my homework early, leaving time for me to practise more cricket. Upcoming experiments that I look forward to try include the ‘Face Your Enemy’ and the ‘Road to Independence’ experiments.

DYG is a closely knit group of teenagers: we enjoy fun moments, sharing the victories of one another together, and encouraging one another to live a better life. The presence of a group of driven teens who genuinely enjoy bringing happiness to others pushes each member to do so too. So, our third of the 5-S’s is Seva, selfless service. Selflessness is a rarity in human nature, and we attempt to bring it into our lives to make a positive difference, however small, to others. DYG actively participates in community empowerment by practising the simple art of giving. Once every couple of months, we make a plan to help a specific community. Whether it be poor children in need of old clothes or creating a comfortable space for Muslims to break their Ramadan fast, we try to extend our outreach wherever possible. Last month (April 2024), we DYG members prepared homemade meals of idli and poha with our families, gathered at a local worker spot, and distributed warm meals to the migrant labourers. Despite the scorching heat, we were happy to know that the meals provided joy to the workers.

To me, Seva doesn’t mean changing the world. I love to offer Seva to even a small group, because it makes a difference to them. Some people find it challenging to embrace our mindset of ‘giving, not grabbing’, but by joining us, and seeing the joy our Seva gives to others, our members have witnessed the beauty of Seva. DYG is the best platform I am a part of that allows me to physically help someone in need, and spread the mission of serving others selflessly across Dubai. Every single youth joining DYG is one more towards the count of those working to empower the world’s needy.

Another aspect of our mission that strengthens our community bond is Sanskruti, the celebration of values through culture. DYG cherishes our values and identity through cultural performances, which spread positivity amongst youth. To practise Sanskruti, we develop our natural talents in theatrical performances, dances, and devotional music. Whatever our artistic capabilities, we DYG members have a platform to express our joy and contentment. Such cultural expressions bring the youth together, strengthening community bonds. In our 3 years as a group, DYG has performed several skits and dramas on inspirational historical figures (like Prophet Muhammad), and dances of various cultures (local Arab dances, traditional Gujarati tunes, and Bollywood songs).

An unforgettable event that has grown my love for Sanskruti was the SRMD retreat in February 2024. That evening, DYG performed a short, energetic dance in front of the 200 attendees of the program. Our selected songs were ‘Jaane Kyun’, and ‘Dhindhora Baaje Re’; both were very lively songs with a symphony of drums and percussion instruments that symbolised our youth. The process of successfully learning the traditional (sometimes complicated!) Indian dance moves brought my friends and me closer. Ultimately, the performance was a blur of smiles and energy: the nervousness, the exhilaration, the applause, but I will not forget the unique experience of learning the upbeat dance routine.

DYG’s final component, beloved by youth across the globe, is Sports. This is one of our favourite pastimes: from cricket to swimming, bowling to golf, we’ve done it all together. This final aspect of DYG is the time to relax and enjoy while bolstering all-round development.

Sports fosters resilience and determination in DYG members. I have experienced the benefits of grit (arising from football matches) in academic settings. Falling once, twice, or even thrice no longer stops me from getting up and continuing to chase the ball. Similarly, I have been able to persist through challenging tasks at school. Sports also inculcates a balanced attitude in us towards success and failure. When DYG last played basketball at the Urban Block Park (April 2024), there was both success and failure. One team learned to enjoy their victory and grow from their experience, while the other learned from their mistakes and weren’t disheartened by the occasional loss.

The wholesome nature of the 5-S program allows us to use our energy to benefit all parts of our lives. My day often begins with nourishing Satsang, and develops into the practice of introspective Sadhana or the offering of selfless Seva. The evening is a time for me to practise exciting devotions of Sanskruti (especially through piano pieces), and finally my friends at DYG and I enjoy our much-loved Sports matches. DYG is a unique experience that helps us to realise and achieve our true potential while simultaneously giving back to society.