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  • New National Youth Policy set to catapult youth mainstreaming in Antigua and Barbuda

Commissioner of Police Gary Nelson receives CYP literature on youth empowerment and development from CYP Regional Director Henry Charles.

New National Youth Policy set to catapult youth mainstreaming in Antigua and Barbuda

29 June 2008

"The whole idea is to build a youth mainstreaming strategy that will integrate other ministries and Government agencies and civil society organisations as strategic partners in the national youth development agenda."

Regional Director of the Commonwealth Youth Programme Caribbean Centre (CYPCC) Mr. Henry Charles recently wrapped up a visit to Antigua and Barbuda aimed at bringing all stakeholders on board in developing a strategic action plan for the implementation of the new National Youth Policy.

The National Youth Policy was passed in Parliament in October 2007 and the next step is to put together an Action Plan for its eventual operationalisation.

On Saturday June 7 the CYPCC Regional Director and the Ministry of Youth of Antigua and Barbuda hosted a forum for about 20 young people who represented various local youth groups including the National Youth Ambassador Corps, the Girl Guides and other organizations to discuss issues around the national youth agenda and the way forward with respect to the action plan.

The interactive session yielded several observations such as the negative impact of partisan politics on youth, the need to pursue non-traditional areas of employment, the need for more youth participation in the development process, the breakdown in traditional family values and structures and the lack of discipline among some young people and existing opportunities for development. Participants also mapped out some of the skills needed to advance the youth development strategy.

On Monday June 9, a key Youth Mainstreaming Workshop organized by the Ministry of Youth sought to sensitise the participants on the whole concept of youth mainstreaming and to do an assessment of the various ministries of government to determine their involvement in youth development and what resources existed.

Participants included Minister of Education, Honourable Bertrand Joseph; Commissioner of Police Gary Nelson among others.

The CYPCC Regional Director in his remarks emphasized that it was critical to pursue a youth mainstreaming strategy and expedite the operationalisation of the National Youth Policy.

""The whole idea is to build a youth mainstreaming strategy that will integrate other ministries and Government agencies and civil society organizations that do not see themselves as having a core role in youth development as strategic partners, by providing technical and financial support in the national youth development agenda," he said.

Director of Youth Cleon Athill said the Ministry of Youth is trying to build the strategic policy from the bottom up and gain the organisations' input rather than present them with a finished product. She said the objective was to build a cadre of stakeholders who would move the plan forward when it is finished.

The forum was attended by representatives from the Ministries of Education, Sports and Youth, Finance and Justice, the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda, Gender Affairs, the Probation Unit, the Barbuda Council, the Boy's Training School, Citizen's Welfare Division, Gilbert's Agricultural Centre, Girl Guides, the Substance Abuse Prevention Division, Friend's Hotline and the Community Development Department.

Out of that engagement a sub-committee was formed to flesh out the action plan. From here the sub-committee will meet to formulate the draft National Action Plan. Stakeholders will then be invited to participate in a follow-up session.

"We are hoping that again that CYP will facilitate that activity which will be held during the National Youth Week activities billed for around September 26 to October," Ms Athill indicated.

Meanwhile, On Tuesday June 10, Mr. Charles met with Minister of Youth, the Honourable Mr. Winston Williams, staff of the Department of Youth and Acting Permanent Secretary, Mr. John Jarvis to sensitise them on the concept of a youth mainstreaming strategy as well as to update them on the process of developing the strategic action plan.

The Regional Director also advised them of the critical need to reposition the Department of Youth so that it can effectively coordinate the youth mainstreaming strategy and the National Youth Policy through a strategic action plan.

 

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