New CYP Regional Director Wants Greater Focus on Youth

Henry Charles, Regional Director of the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) Caribbean Centre

Recently appointed Regional Director of the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) Caribbean Centre, Henry Charles wants more attention to be focused on youth development. He made this plea while addressing the opening of the CYP Caribbean Centre Regional Advisory Board meeting at the Marriot Resort in St Kitts and Nevis on Sunday, 9 October 2005.

Mr Charles pointed out that while young people are considered the leaders of tomorrow, they also represent the citizens of today, which gives them the right to equal treatment and opportunities within the broader context of sustainable national development.

"Youth development is a serious business and we can no longer treat it as an appendage of, or a miscellaneous issue within, the broader national development policy and agenda," he stated in his opening remarks to the group of youth delegates and government representatives.

Mr Charles, who held the post of general manager for the National Conservation Authority of St Lucia before joining the CYP in September 2005, stressed that unless youth development is accorded its rightful place within the national development agenda, efforts to reform, reshape and reposition economic, social, political and governance systems will be severely undermined.

"I am advocating the need for our youth development policies and initiatives to assume a new and more progressive philosophical outlook ... this is best captured in the CYP vision statement," he said.

He cited the CYP's Strategic Plan 2003-2006, which states: "We have a vision of young Commonwealth citizens maximising their participation in development and democracy, shaping the present and future of their communities and societies."

Mr Charles noted that while strategies are formulated to address issues pertaining to youth development, there are some areas which deserve appropriate consideration.

Issues relating to strengthening democratic youth bodies and constituents organs, and training in modern management techniques so as to improve the quality of management of youth organisations and raise the consciousness of young people about human rights, are some of the areas under critical attention from the new CYP regional director.

Mr Charles also proposed the convening of a regional symposium on youth and sustainable national development, where researched papers on various aspects of youth development and youth in national development would be discussed.

 

CNIS - Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 257, 19 October 2005

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