By Gabriella Chapman
MORE than 74 students from secondary and tertiary educational institutions in Guyana journeyed to the capital city – Georgetown – on Friday, to attend Youth Parliament 2019 – one of the country’s highly anticipated youth fora.

Ahead of next week’s training sessions, which will prepare them to debate on the sovereign wealth fund, migration, governance and the proposed ban on single-use plastics among other topics, the students said they are excited to gain that parliamentary experience.
Thirty-seven of them are secondary school students from the 10 administrative regions while the other 37 were drawn from the University of Guyana Tain and Turkeyen campuses.
At the Public Buildings where they assembled on Friday, 15-year-old Kriston Smith, a student from Zeeburg Secondary School, told the Guyana Chronicle that her participation in Youth Parliament 2019 is a realisation of her dream.

“I hope to gain knowledge and wisdom and to be more open because I think they will teach us how to be bold and brave, and I would like to be a bit more of that,” Smith told this newspaper.

The aspiring lawyer posited that the experience will help to shape her career.
Sixteen-year-old Ezra Gibson, in echoing similar sentiments, said he is pleased that his school – St. George’s Secondary – was given the opportunity to participate in Youth Parliament.

“With the school that I go to, St. George’s, people got a lot of bad comments about our school, and to have a St. George’s student here, it’s a really good thing. I feel really good and proud to be here,” Gibson told this newspaper.

The aspiring cadet officer said he is open to the parliamentary experience. “I’m not sure what I will learn pertaining to becoming a cadet officer, but at least I’m getting exposure on what happens among our leaders and maybe it can open my mind to some other area I can contribute to in Guyana,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sherlyn Semple, a former youth parliamentarian, returned this year as a mentor. She told this newspaper that Youth Parliament 2017 was a life-changing experience.

“I had no idea what I wanted to become. I studied arts, but I wasn’t sure as yet… However, from engaging in the debates and everything I was exposed to at youth parliament, I was able to have a clearer picture as to which area I should go into, and from then on, I went into law,” Semple explained.

She added: “It’s not very often that a person from my region, Region Six, gets the opportunity to meet with youths from all parts of the country. So that opportunity provided me a means of meeting other youths that are intelligent and talented, and it also served as motivation for me because I started telling myself ‘if they can be this age, and performing at this level, then I can do the same too.’”

Parliamentary Executive Officer and Coordinator of Youth Parliament, Carletta Charles said that with a competent team of young people in place, she is confident that Youth Parliament 2019 will be a success.

Charles said the goal is to train the participants and to equip them with requisite skills and knowledge that can be used throughout their lives.

“We are hoping that students will be able to express themselves on topical issues. It’s a wide platform for them to share their opinions on matters of national interest, and hopefully those opinions would influence the decisions of our lawmakers. We want them to develop their public-speaking and debating skills; there will be training to that effect too and it would be good for them to be able to interact with each other and learn from each other’s experiences and cultures because we never know where we may end up in life…,” Charles explained.

Additionally, she said that they are aiming to mold leaders, who would not hesitate to take up leadership positions within their communities. Public Relations Assistant, Nadeila Allen, explained that several topics, in the form of motions, would be divided among the secondary and tertiary students.

The use of sovereign wealth fund, migration policy, youth participation in governance, amendment of Article 155 1 (A) of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, will be tackled by the university students.

The younger students will focus on the banning of single-use plastics, copyright law, discipline in school, and curbing substance abuse.

Allen said that during the week they will partake in a series of activities including introduction, interaction and a session on the functions of parliament.
Session would also be conducted on leadership, roles of members of parliament, parliamentary etiquette and decorum; parliamentary procedures and practices, introduction to motions and discussions; introduction to the mentors, drafting speeches and the art of public speaking among other topics.
It was noted, that this time around, greater focus is being placed on youth mentorship. Past participants are now serving as mentors.
The out-of-town students will also be taken on tours around Georgetown during the course of that time, Allen shared.