National service for all young people

THE EDITOR: This letter is in response to your article on the PM’s plan to extend CEPEP and introduce three other social and civic programmes for the youths of TT. I hope Mr Manning’s extension of CEPEP includes its reaching all the various communities of TT, not to just those communities that he sees as being his and his party’s political lifeblood. All the citizens of TT, regardless of political affiliation, pay their share of taxes to the central government, and as such, should reap the benefits of this and other programmes provided by the government. Now to the main matter at hand. I applaud the PM for his initiative in promoting “national service” for young people. I think this will help to instill national pride and pride in themselves and their communities.

My only concern with his proposal, is the question of whether or not this “service” will be required for all young people, or just the ones who seem to have “fallen off the wagon” or are about to. I think that it should be mandatory service for “all” young people, regardless of family, social stature, income level, education or otherwise. Everyone between the ages of 18-25 should have to perform some form of national “community” service for a period of three years while they are within that age range. Those not starting until they are 24 or 25 years old will of course have to serve until they are 27 or 28. The list of ways that this “service” can be provided are varied as the imagination will allow. It can include doing work on public infrastructure (bridges, buildings, parks, playgrounds) repair, construction and refurbishment; the clean up of our parks, beaches, waterways, rivers, forested areas and the planting and replanting of trees.

Also, doing work in the social services arena, office work, helping at the nation’s hospitals (candy stripers), libraries, and other public offices. I am sure you get the picture. In addition to the aforementioned national pride that would be learned by the individuals and the social benefits derived by society on the whole from these projects, the individuals will also gain much needed work experience and social skills that would do well for them in their future lives. I strongly urge the creation of this type of “draft.” It is not a military draft, but a draft of conscience. TT society is too fragmented. I believe this is one of the ways that we can bring people together, not just living, but working together toward common goals. So, regardless of political affiliation, I urge all citizens of TT to get behind the PM on this one. The answer to many of our social problems are with the youth, this is one way to have them correct some of the social ills they and we face daily. If this programme is set up, funded and managed properly, it will do much to put the country on a strong footing toward first world status by 2020, by redirecting the energies of the nation’s youths toward something positive, rather than their present selfish and destructive behaviours. Hooray, Mr PM, I think you have hit on a good one this time. Now go to work on it (immediately)! Help save our next generation of citizens!

KELVIN C JAMES, Sr
Via e-mail