– as over 600 youths awarded at PYARG 12th Anniversary
AFTER completing a lengthy period of meaningful involvement in community service, adventure, skills training, physical recreation and moral education, successful participants of the President’s Youth Award Republic of Guyana (PYARG) programme participants were conferred at the Award’s 12th Anniversary celebrations on Saturday.
The proud awardees, all of whom were in the 14 to 25 age group, were encouraged by President Bharrat Jagdeo to continue the task of nation building by contributing to and adding their voice to national and global issues.
“Don’t just focus on your own surroundings, there is a big wide world out there and there is a country. There is a national policy and for you to move up from bronze to gold, I expect that you have a broader outlook for the rest of the world… I hope that you see the challenges of the world and people’s struggles and that you understand them because it makes you better individuals,” President Jagdeo said.
The President was at the time addressing 678 youths who were recipients of the bronze, silver and gold awards during a presentation ceremony at the National Cultural Centre.
Among those present were Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Minister of Culture Youth and Sport Dr Frank Anthony and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Alfred King, members of the diplomatic corps, parents and guardians.
The evening’s ceremony was highlighted by a medley of folk songs, the viewing of an award documentary and dance performances by the PYARG Urmilla’s Institute and the St Rose’s High PYARG unit.
“AND 1” superstar legends from the United States nicknamed “The Air Up There” and “Show Stopper”, who are in Guyana for the All Star basketball weekend, also graced the ceremony with their presence, presenting awards to the participants and encouraging them to be self confident.
In his charge to the participants the Head of State expressed the hope that the award was rewarding, given the opportunity which it granted for participants to experience Guyana’s incomparable geographic and cultural patrimony.
“I hope that this awakens in you a stronger sense of love for this country and a love for all things Guyanese. We do have our challenges but this country is part of our life and blood. This is the only thing that belongs to us,” President Jagdeo said.
The youths were assured by the president that they have the ability to create the kind of meaningful change in the society to which all positive thinking Guyanese aspire. He said that for Guyana to develop some of the latent tendencies of the past such as division by religion and race must be changed.
He described it as a traditional mindset that has been a plague to development and in this regard, he called on the youths to curtail such a plague by taking up leadership roles at the community level.
“When you go back to your communities, take leadership positions, in organisations get involved with others. Try to break down the bigotry that exists (in) some places. When you hear people say these things don’t subscribe to them if they are disparaging to another person based on their religion or race,” President Jagdeo said.
He made specific reference to domestic violence which he said has resulted in too many women being victims of abuse and lamented the passive way in which communities respond to such issues.
“Look how many men abuse our children and get away with it because the community stays silent… because we think it’s not our business. If we want to change our country, that’s not the attitude, we have to get involved in everything to make this place a better place,” President Jagdeo said.
The award is offered to the youths at the bronze, silver and gold levels, each higher than the other, after the youths would have successfully completed activities in the area of services, adventurous journeys, skills, physical recreation and residential projects.
Minister Anthony made reference to various aspects of the programme which would see the participants benefitting from peer education on HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, edutainment, care of the leatherback turtle at Shell Beach in Region One, involvement in mangrove restoration and heritage site preservation.
He said the popularity which the programme has gained was evident in the recent hosting of the Caribbean Award Sub-regional Council (CASC) at the Guyana School of Agriculture in July where several youths from around the Caribbean converged in a spirit of social interaction.
The PYARG is a model of the Duke of Edinburgh Award, International Award for Young People introduced in Britain in 1956.Guyana adopted and launched the programme in October 1998 and has it operating in all ten regions.
More than 10,000 youths participated and unit leaders have gained life skills as a result of the programme. (GINA)