Caribbean News Now!

By Ian Francis

The debate continues in the region about the growing challenges faced by young people (16-30) and the apparent inability of concerned sectors to build and sustain new strategies that will empower young people and increase their civic engagement. The failure and lack of vision by the various regional sectors that advocate for youth is troubling and requires a return to the drawing board. Inventing and copying North American and European youth initiatives in the region is only a stop gap measure that recycles the problems, resulting in further disempowerment and limited participation by the target group.

Ian Francis resides in Toronto and is a frequent contributor on Caribbean affairs. He is a former Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Grenada and can be reached at info@visminconsultancy.ca

What can be done to change the situation that will bring about long term sustainability in regional youth engagement initiatives? Some of my suggestions will be very critical and it is sincerely hoped that the comments and suggestions attributed in this article will not be taken personally but rather pave the possibility for consideration to develop and sustain creative and innovative youth strategies.

Addressing youth development initiatives in the region should be centred on four critical areas. These are: 1) Youth labour market and skills enhancement; 2) Criminal justice system; 3) Family life and sustainable values and 4) Civic participation and national service. These are essential issues that must be built into any long term action plan that will address youth issues from a qualitative stand point.

Prior to developing a regional long term strategic plan to address youth initiatives, it is important that an inventory of current initiatives be developed and examined. The tendency in the region at this stage is to come up with short term job placement schemes such as Jamaica’s JEEP and Grenada’s Youth Apprenticeship Opportunities. There is nothing wrong in governments developing and implementing such initiatives; however, at some juncture in the development of these initiatives, the youth participants are likely to be recycled into the unemployment line, thus becoming further alienated, where likely anti-social behaviour steps in. With proper innovative and long term planning, governments and other facilitators on youth initiatives can derive more sustainable outcomes.

What does the future hold for a sustainable long term regional youth strategy? First, governments must understand that, while they have the ultimate responsibilities for youth policy developments, these policies can only be successful when those affected become a full planning participant in the process. Too often, governments make disastrous policy decisions about youth that are not of a qualitative nature and lack a long term vision.

Youth development planning in the region requires a level of strategic coordination and understanding that extends beyond makeshift programs, useless workshops and padding of local youth ministries with youth officers and other personnel whose only vision is the development of a playing field and establishment of a multi- purpose centre.

How can we build a sustainable youth strategy in the region? Any thought of a viable youth strategy in the region must recognize the ageing crisis and a full acceptance that those between 16-30, are the likely policymakers in the next ten years. Frankly speaking, the core and majority of affected young people in the region are not primarily interested in mock parliaments and other foreign imported initiatives that are often time deposited on the footstep of regional governments. The depository of these initiatives is often times not in the interest of the affected target group but to enhance individual performance evaluation and an opportunity to chill in the region for a week or two.

It is assumed that regional governments and other development sectors are deeply committed to youth development. However, there are three critical issues that require attention.

1) Regional governments have a responsibility to tell the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), the Organization of American States (OAS), certain specialized agencies of the United Nations and the European Union that youth development policies cannot be imported and implemented. What might have been successful amongst youth criminals in the slums of Honduras, San Salvador or Guatemala might not be applicable in the English-speaking Caribbean. International agencies support is needed but regional governments must resist and reject many of their suggested models.

2) The Commonwealth Secretariat should be pressed for a total review of the Commonwealth Youth Centre based in Guyana. Why a review? It is to examine its role and responsibilities and specifically to determine current program relevance to the youth sector in the English-speaking Caribbean.

3) Two of the region’s key multilateral funding recipient agencies must ensure the inclusion of a youth development component whenever they develop projects to seek funding. Regional government will have to devise a mechanism where they can peek at proposals before they are submitted.

4) Both the OECS Secretariat and CARICOM take an in-depth second look at sustained youth initiatives in the region. Suggestions for the possible formation of a regional youth service/corps require some attention.

It is sincerely hoped that at some time in the very near future, governments and other development stakeholders will take a more in depth look at youth policies and sustainable youth initiatives in the region.

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