…President Granger charges youths

PRESIDENT David Granger on Friday challenged youths across Guyana to be stewards of their country, leaders in their communities and to make use of the tools provided to create a better Guyana for future generations.

He was addressing the opening of the inaugural Regional Youth Caucus where some 300 youths from Guyana’s 10 Administrative regions gathered at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC). The event was hosted by One Youth. One Youth is an amalgamation of civil society, political, private sector, non-government organistions and cultural groups actively collaborating to promote transformation and national development.

The event took the theme: ‘Connect; Reflect; Project Advancing Youth Participation in National Development’.

In addressing the gathering just one day after relaunching the National Youth Corps located at Kuru Kuru on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, the President spoke to his passion for young people and vision to see them being well-equipped to take up the mantle of leadership.

“Your government is interested in ensuring that young people become the lifeline of this country’s economic, political and social transformation. The State must support young people, [equipping] them to assume greater responsibility and prepare them to bear the burden of leadership,” the Guyanese leader said.

He told the attentive audience that his administration remains guided by the four pillars of youth development which are education; employment; empowerment and equality. He said before youths can develop into future leaders, education remains key. Over just three years in government, through the President’s Five B’s initiative, over 1,200 bicycles have been freely distributed to children; nine boats and 29 busses are now freely transporting children to school.

As youths develop, the President said they must be given the opportunity to participate in the leadership and governance of their communities which is why his administration has placed priority on the restoration of Local Government Elections (LGC) which had been dormant for decades.

Meanwhile, with the establishment of Bartica, Mabaruma, Lethem and Mahdia as new towns, along with new radio stations in Aishalton, Lethem, Mahdia, Mabaruma, Bartica and Orealla, President Granger said that youths are now in a better position to share their views and have their voices heard. He described to the youths, his administration’s vision to see aerodromes, highways, stadiums, hospitals and state-of-the art bridges in every region which would not only result in more efficient community access, but equity in development for each region.

BE ENTREPRENEURS
He encouraged the youths to pursue entrepreneurial means of employment while he pinpointed that it is the State’s responsibility to ensure that youths are given the necessary tools to fulfil their dreams. “You must be trained and empowered to assume the role of leaders. It would be reckless for older folks to expect young people to lead simply by trial and error. You can learn to lead only when the State strengthens the foundation and that foundation is based on education, empowerment, employment and, most of all, equality. This is the foundation that will support and sustain your leadership,” he said.

During his presentation the President Granger creatively described, in detail, Guyana’s advantages of size, diversity and resources which he charged the youthful generation to preserve and protect from external threats. “We look to you, therefore, to become stewards of this important environmental asset. We look to you to help to organise our communities to continue the efforts to protect our wildlife,” he encouraged. “You too must be prepared to defend your birth right of national patronage against external threats.”

Commending the Youth Caucus initiative as one which ought to be repeated, the President urged the youths to form their own youth groups; absorb their education and pursue opportunities of leadership. “Rest assured that the government will continue to work with you to develop your talents, to enable you to provide the leadership that Guyana needs. We would like to create a cadre of youth leaders in every region; young people committed to developing their regions including providing jobs,” President Granger said. “The future of this country is in your hands. We’ll continue to lend a helping hand, but it is your hands that must seize the opportunity which is being provided.”

At the opening ceremony, remarks came too from Ministry of Education Youth Director, Melissa Carmichael, who pinpointed the projects, programmes and financial support awarded to youths over the past few years. She noted that for 2019, over $809M has been awarded to the Department of Youth for which the prime focus will be on the implementation of well-planned programmes and interventions for youth business establishment.

SUPPORT FOR YOUTHS
Other priorities noted were the resuscitation and establishment of regional youth councils; the expansion of entrepreneurship training programmes; training in ‘green’-technology and more.

Carmichael therefore committed that the Department of Youth will continue its efforts towards engaging youths through meaningful programmes with the aim of improving their contribution to their communities and country as a whole. “I would like to encourage you to continue to press on; to continue to advocate for youth change… for things that you are so passionate about. You, young people, are a force for development and we will continue to provide you with the knowledge and opportunities you need to thrive,” she said.

Following the opening ceremony, the attendees broke out into seven discussion groups which engaged in various thematic areas of discussion. They included re-envisioning education for the next generation; defending Guyana’s territorial integrity; governance and development; crime and violence; the oil and gas economy and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); youth entrepreneurship, and sports and culture.

“It is the hope that we will have some pointed discussions and some suggestions for implementation for crafting the way forward for the country,” National Chairman of the Guyana Youth and Student Movement (GYSM), Ryan Belgrave explained on the sidelines. The well-attended event also showcased several booths from agencies in the fields of art; science; medicine; manufacturing and agriculture which attracted youths interested in the areas.