National Service, Civic Consciousness & Patriotism

MANY COUNTRIES TODAY are grappling with the challenge of what seems to be the waning of patriotism among citizens and the question of how to develop civic consciousness that would invoke a more effective balance between individual rights and benefits and civic obligations. Alternatively, many educationists and sociologists have reiterated the potential of National Service as a form of civic education and perhaps one of the most powerful tools for exposing citizens (especially the youth and students) to the central and enduring socio-cultural and political traditions of a nation. According to these scholars, both the military and the welfare state could be improved greatly by developing a functional system of National Service in which the majority of youths spent between one and two years in military and community service programmes. These programmes would serve as a means of raising civic consciousness as well as strengthening the moral sentiments required for performance as effective citizens.

Historically, National Service, implemented on a large scale, is the continuation of the concept of the Citizen Soldier which has its roots in antiquity. Prior to the first ancient empires (2500-1500 BC), ancient societies relied on citizen soldiers or militias who were essentially armed mobs, equipped with hunting tools and all sorts of lethal paraphernalia. Civic education in this case implied that each able-bodied person had a series of military and civic tasks to perform on behalf of the nation-state. In pre-colonial Africa particularly, this form of civic education (i.e. the concept of the citizen soldier) was ritualized in initiation ceremonies and served not only to win wars but also to make citizens more aware of their civic obligations.

During the Renaissance period (13th to 16th centuries), the prevalence of Citizen Soldiers in Europe diminished with the emergence of professional forces who were mainly mercenaries whose livelihood depended almost entirely on military service. Later, after 1870, the concept of the citizen soldier equally wilted in Africa with the creation of colonial armies which were primarily constabulary forces with troops drawn from foreign territories to prevent desertion and empathy for the local population. Alternatively, while Western European militias dissipated during the Renaissance, it was revived as part of Florentine civic humanism spread through Europe by the writings of thinkers such as Niccolò Machiavelli resulting in a strong sense of localism and patriotism which eventually inspired the National Service model as a continuation of the traditions of the Citizen Soldier.

As a form of civic education, the objective of National Service is not only to make personnel available for military and civic programmes, but to help citizens understand their obligations to society. This was especially important in African after the end of colonialism. In Zambia, for example, given security threats in the 60s and 70s, a number of able-bodied men were trained as Home Guards. Further, Lt Col Nyirenda was seconded from the Army and appointed Director of the Zambia Youth Service which later became the Zambia National Service (ZNS). ZNS took in grade 7 and 9 school leavers for skills training preceded by short basic military training. Furthermore, the 1975 training of Grade 12 school leavers was the largest mobilization and most clearly aimed at creating army reserves. Political Education was part of their curriculum as was basic military training for 6 months and production for 14 months. It was these recruits that were called up in 1978/79 following attacks from Rhodesia.

Today, National Service programmes are operated in a variety of ways. While some countries tend to operate such programmes as alternatives to the draft or conscription, others use them as a policy tool to help promote development in neglected areas, and foster understanding in ethnically and religiously diverse populations. In Rwanda for example, every last Saturday of the month, Rwandans are required to come together for a morning of mandatory community service called umuganda.

In Nigeria, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is a scheme set up by the Nigerian government to involve Nigerian graduates (for at least a year) in nation building and the development of the country.

In the Philippines, the National Service Training Program (NSTP), forms part of the curricula of all baccalaureate degree courses and is a requisite for graduation. It consists of three components including the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) meant to instill patriotism, morals, virtues, respect for human rights and adherence to the constitution.

In sum, all things considered, National Service remains a potently powerful tool for raising civic consciousness by which citizens become more aware of their civic rights and obligations. Conversely, the most effective blueprint for a National Service system must be based on clear and institutionalized civic obligations as well as decentralized units and diverse programs and activities.