President to CARICOM Heads meeting in Suriname…
PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo was among three Heads of Government and State singled out for their unswerving commitment to youth and youth development in the Caribbean.

The commendation came during a stormy opening ceremony of the first Special meeting of Heads of Government of CARICOM in Paramaribo, Suriname. The other heads present were host President, Mr Runaldo Venetiaan of Suriname, and CARICOM Chairman, Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica.

This poor showing by Head caused Dean of the CARICOM Youth Ambassador Corps, Ms Alexis Monelle to chide those absent, saying that they were not present to receive the report they themselves had mandated the young people of the region to prepare.

CARICOM Heads, at their 27th meeting in July, 2006 had mandated the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development (CCYD) to conduct a “full scale analysis of the challenges and opportunities for youth in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) and to make recommendations on how best to empower them and improve their well-being.”

After three years of concentrated research, the CCYD now has its draft report titled: ‘Eye on the Future: Invest in YOUTH NOW for the Community Tomorrow’. That Report was presented for deliberations at yesterday’s all-day session.

Speaking with the media after the opening ceremony, President Bharrat Jagdeo said that while many of his colleague Heads of Government/State were unable to attend the meet, they were represented by their ministers, whom he said were fully capable of addressing the issues before them.

President Jagdeo said, too, that while he would have preferred to focus on the positives of the event and the proposals rather than grandstanding, he was however optimistic that yesterday’s discussions would have afforded them enough time to address those issues that needed to be addressed.

He is of the opinion that many of the issues at reference are interwoven. To press home the point, he asked of no one in particular: “How do you separate the growth in education expenditure from youth empowerment?”

Noting that there was no way the two can be separated, yet there has been a growth in education-related expenditure, President Jagdeo said: “So, sometimes when we tend to find one-sentence solutions to complex interwoven problems, we tend not to get the complexity of the issues raised.

Responding to queries about empowerment opportunities for youths in Guyana, President Jagdeo, rather than give a straight answer, chose to use as an example his selection by older members of the People’s Progressive Party to be a minister, and the fact that by the time he reached 35, he was chosen as a Presidential candidate. obtuse

He also drew reference to the fact that his cabinet comprises many young ministers, the majority of whom are in their early to mid-30s and 40s. These are cases, he said, where youths have real power. A case in point, he said, were young people like Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, who are still in their early thirties. He also boasted of having young people in every sphere of his government, pointing to permanent secretaries, ambassadors and other policy makers. He also drew reference to the fact that the budget for the education sector here in Guyana has seen a ten-fold increase in the last 10 years, which, in his opinion, is a demonstration of what real empowerment is, as against giving out money for sports or other cultural activities.

Thoroughly opposed to the creation of a special fund for youth in the region, President Jagdeo feels young people should instead be entrusted with positions in government, and that critical to their development is the strengthening of the family, which cannot be achieved by way of a fund.

This comment of the President’s comes against the backdrop of the findings of a damning report citing the widespread involvement of youth in crime all across the region. According to the report, lost tourist revenues as a result of crime had reached in excess of US$200 million per year for the CARICOM region, and overall, youth crime was costing at least 7% of the region’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

In addition to unemployment and crime statistics, it was also found that teenage pregnancy is costing CARICOM governments an average US$2,000 per year for every young pregnant mother. These mothers are also losing potential earnings they could have achieved, had they been able to delay their motherhood and continue to higher educational levels, according to the analysis of the results.

But President Jagdeo is of the firm belief that working with churches and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is a potentially strong solution that does not necessarily require money but rather a change of behaviour.

The Regional Youth Forum has been supported by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and looked at, among other things, increasing young people’s contribution to the national and regional youth agenda.

However, much anticipation surrounded yesterday’s discussions which has the backing of the European Union through the Caribbean Integration Support Programme (CISP). Talks were set to counter the mindset that youth are, for the most part, apathetic towards serious issues which affect their daily lives.

The CARICOM Commission on Youth Development consulted with more than six thousand young people across the Region who articulated their challenges. It was anticipated, too, that heads present would discuss on the earthquake which ravaged their sister CARICOM member-state, Haiti, in terms of what measures they have begun to take as it relates to assistance.

Accompanying President Jagdeo to the meeting in Suriname were Minister with responsibility for youth, Dr. Frank Anthony.