Towards new policy for youths of nation

I attended the symposium to make a contribution on youth development since I believe sport is an aspect of youth development.

After the first hour, though, I realised the symposium was specific to sports. Nonetheless I submitted my intended contribution for whatever it is worth.

The period of life which the youth represents is the most productive and useful period by virtue of the budding or growing energies they are endowed with by nature.

In order to create a generation of young Trinidadians/Tobagonians equipped to take on future challenges and achieve their full potential, the youth must be in good health and make healthy and balanced choices.

Youth-specific health issues must be addressed through targeted programmes.

Balanced nutrition and healthy lifestyle information must be provided to the youth. They must be encouraged to engage in sports and recreation in order to ensure their physical well-being.

There is need to instil social values and promote community service to strengthen nationalism in the country. It is important to build national pride and ownership in the youth through a programme of education on social values including respect for diversity and the importance of harmony.

Youth must be encouraged to participate in community service and development activities in the most backward areas. They must have a strong sense of moral responsibility towards their fellow citizens, especially those who are less fortunate than themselves.

The questions I put to the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs were: * Is there a systematic assessment to understand the current status of the youth? * Is there a concerted effort to identify the range of stakeholders working on youth development, to analyse the impact of their activities and determine how these stakeholders can be aligned and leveraged to more effectively support the youth? A stakeholder-mapping exercise must be undertaken to determine the number of stakeholders, the scope of their activities and the impact they have on youth development.

I don’t know if it is possible in these times of economic hardships but the Government must increase its investment in youth in order to capitalise on the opportunity they present. All government departments must make a determined effort to ensure youth main-streaming across sectors and policy areas.

There are tools that can be leveraged in order to promote youth development: the social media, which enjoys high penetration among youth, and the network of existing youth development organisations.

The ministry responsible for youth development should publish a biennial report on the status of youth in order to inform the nation about progress against indicators, highlight key achievements and identify new and unmet challenges.

The report would also serve to inform the youth about various government initiatives for their development A youth policy must aim at providing an overview of the state of the youth. It must highlight key issues and challenges faced by the youth and it must elaborate quality, excellence, equitable access and full participation in order to create a better life for all residents.

Supporting and promoting the development of youth must be one of the foremost priorities across all sectors and stakeholders of the nation.

CUTHBERT SANDY Point Fortin