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To this end, the stakeholder bodies are conducting a series of regional consultations with youths countrywide, and running until October 8, 2013. The first consultations were held in Region 10 at Mackenzie, Wismar and Kwakwani at 10:00hrs; and at the Kuru Kuru Training Centre at 15:00hrs.
At a Press Conference held at the MCYS, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony; his Permanent Secretary, Mr. Alfred King, and other stakeholder partners briefed the media on the background to the project, its implications for youths, and their involvement.
Permanent Secretary King, who said a modernized approach would be adopted for youth development, added that the partners and beneficiaries are geared for extensive work over the next three months or so.
He was optimistic that there would be good outcomes for the project – formulation of the National Youth Policy. “We will be working very hard, over the next three months or so, to present to you what is a National Youth Policy. We are hoping that we can capture the priorities that will speak to what is considered a modernized approach to youth development, youth empowerment, and youth involvement in development generally.”
Key committees
King outlined that, to help in getting the work done generally, two key committees have been established: The National Stakeholders’ Committee and the Youth Steering Committee. They have also been able to bring some ‘quality’ partners on board.
The National Stakeholders Committee is chaired by Mr. Rawle Small, the Director of HABITAT for Humanity, who is also a researcher and someone who understands the process of developing policies. Mr. Small had previously worked with MCYS as a consultant to aid the process of developing what is now called the Volunteers’ Platform. Mr. Small, along with Director of Youth and Sport, Ms. Gillian Frank, will constitute the focal point persons and will be focusing on things technical.
The Youth Steering Committee is chaired by Ms. Teekah, also of the MCYS, who has also done a lot of voluntary work with young people, and is part of a volunteers’ group as well.
Additionally, the CYP has identified two consultants, both from Barbados, to aid the process. They are Mr. Dereck Allen, who will put the policy together, and Ms. Dwynette Eversley, Regional Director of the Commonwealth Youth Programme.
UNICEF would provide financial and logistical support and other resources, wherever necessary. The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport will also provide other resources, while the CYP will take care of all other expenses relating to consultation and the Youth Policy as well.
King anticipates that the sustained vigour, enthusiasm and goodwill being demonstrated would all augur well for meeting the December 2013 timeline for the National Youth Policy.
Regional Director of CYP, Ms.Dwynette Eversley, gave an overview and background to CYPO’s involvement and expectations.
Ms. Eversley considered it a pleasure to be here to share what she described as an exciting process embarked upon, based on the minister’s request on behalf of the young people of Guyana. She said the CYP (Youth Affairs Division in particular) has as its main mandate the empowerment of young people. “I want to make it clear to all of us who are involved in youth work, and all governments and other stakeholders who have an interest in supporting young people’s development that we do two main things or work in two main pillars.”
Policy regime
“First, we look at what is the policy regime, and the enabling environment that supports young people’s development and wellbeing at the social, political, and economic levels.
“Secondly, we look at creating the systems, support services, and access to development; access whether there be education, health or otherwise, making young people part of that process and managing the process.”
In that pillar, all the systems needed would be placed, she said, by the kind of citizens needed for the continued healthy and sustainable development of the country. “So that essentially describes what we have been doing, and what we are looking at in terms of developing a youth policy just by way of essential background,” Ms Eversley said.
The Policy Document
Ms Eversley outlined that the Commonwealth Community Secretariat convenes high-level meetings of ministers responsible for youth across all Commonwealth nations on a four-yearly cycle, and she recalled that when ministers met in 2006, they reiterated the commitment to developing policy because of the importance of creating an environment where issues relating to young people would be reflected in a policy – a document that anybody could look at — that can guide the Ministry of Youth and certainly at the national level. She said that successful outcomes for young people are things that should be in a policy document.
“It is because the Commonwealth Youth Affairs Division has a vested interest in supporting young people, out partners, our governments – we develop a useful document called ‘Formulating and Implementing a National Youth Policy’, which I can say has been used as a guide to support the process,” Ms. Eversley reiterated.
She said that, using good practice in Policy Development across the Commonwealth and also at the international level, they have been bringing that thinking – what is good practice, in policy development. “But the most critical element is finding out what are the needs on the ground for the young people of Guyana.”
Ms Eversley observed that Guyana is fortunate to have a diversity and richness of population that no other Caribbean country has. “There is a diversity and richness that has to be reflected,” she emphasised, adding, “That is what this CY and process is all about – using the good practice, using the imitators, using the scientific research about what should happen with young people and for young people and their development; and mapping that into the concept, so that the programmes, services and support are relevant and timely.”
Eversley said that is why the concept of choosing a consultant to support youth work and get it right was so critical for them at the Commonwealth Youth Programme.
She disclosed that they were able to secure the expertise of a partner who is Barbadian and who has worked extensively. Mr. Allen is a graduate of the Commonwealth Youth Diploma Project and he understands Youth Work. He is one who understands participatory development; understands the science and art of working with young people, not only in Youth Development, but has also helped with the policy development processes in other Caribbean countries. All that is being brought to bear in creating a rich and useful evidence-based process of quality development for Guyana, she said.
Meanwhile, Consultant Mr. Dereck Alleyne spoke on time, methodology, and what is expected in relation to putting together the Youth Policy.
Alleyne stressed that putting together a Youth Policy at this time does not mean that there has never been one, but it is recognised that there is need for greater involvement in the process, and the policy that is to be followed needs to be a little tighter than previously.
Therefore, there is need to put something down that can be followed, that we can evaluate later on.
He said the desk work has already been started, and so there is an opportunity to look back on the old efforts at putting together a policy document. “We’ve looked at the Adolescent Study, we’ve looked at the White Paper, and we’ve found some benchmarks and ideas. We have started to frame, but to have a frame, the other essential components will have to come from the young people, he said, and that will begin when they ‘hit the road today’.
Meanwhile, UNICEF Guyana’s Representative Ms. Jewel Cross says her organisation sees the process as a very vital step towards empowering our youth to contribute to nation building.
She emphasised that a Youth Policy is always very valuable, because it presents clear guidelines and framework for youth development. “We at UNICEF recognise that our youth have potential for development, are full of energy and dynamism, and constitute a pillar upon which a nation is built. Therefore, it is a good opportunity for this initiative to be channelled to enable them to play a constructive role in the social-economic development of their country.”
Cross said UNICEF-Guyana welcomes this opportunity to support the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport in getting this (process) done, and concluded that it has been a very exciting time and learning process.
She said UNICEF is particularly concerned about having the voice of the youth heard. “It is the component which we will be heavily supporting…going into the regions to get the voices of the hinterland youth, the urban youth, because we see this as very important…that they have a stake in this Youth Policy, and be able to recognise later on that they have made a contribution,” she concluded.
UNICEF was also represented at the meeting by Communications Assistant Mr. Frank Robinson.
