…PM urges Rupununi youths

PRIME minister, Moses Nagamootoo has urged youths in the Rupununi to shake off the label of being referred to as ‘bus people’ and claim their space in the field of science and technology to help build a better Guyana.
The Prime Minister who is also performing the duties of the President, was at the time addressing the opening ceremony of a Ministry of Social Cohesion one-week Inter-Village Social Cohesion Exchange programme being held at the St Ignatius Secondary School. The programme caters for hundreds of youths from the South Central Rupununi. Mr. Nagamootoo during his address reflected on his own upbringing as a youth attending many camps, which he said helped nurtured him into the person he is today. He said those youth camps he attended provided opportunities for social cohesion and he urged the youths attending this programme to seize the moment. “Put aside your differences and work towards developing yourself to take hold of your future,” the Prime Minister told the young people attending the programme.

He lamented the high incidence of teenage pregnancy in the country as well as the hundreds of young men who are in jail. “Jail is a devil that has come to haunt our young people and you don’t need to be in jail,” Mr. Nagamootoo told the gathering to thunderous applause. The aim of the programme is to provide young people from South Central Rupununi with information relating to social cohesion, thus creating an enabling environment aimed at promoting trust, unity, equity, equality and an appreciation for diversity. It also seeks to build the capacity of the individuals at the community level that will provide a pathway of self-growth and livelihood empowerment.
Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr George Norton said that his ministry saw it fit to implement such an initiative since the youths of the region need to be well informed about social cohesion and how they can play their part in ensuring that their communities are united. “Youths have the ability to lead not only their fellow youths but also all other citizens in the right direction. You have a great role to play in breaking down all the barriers to achieving social cohesion,” Dr Norton told the participants.

He said these barriers include stereotypical behavior, biases, exclusion, marginialisation and inequality. Dr Norton noted that a large part of this requires respecting each other’s culture and engaging in and promoting activities which foster co-existence among persons from varying backgrounds. “Youths can also make a concerted effort to generate solutions to many societal problems that threaten social cohesion.” Among those he mentioned were; domestic violence, teenage pregnancy and trafficking in person. The minister said that through the programme, the youths will be better positioned to develop themselves personally as well as contribute towards the 23 communities to which they belong. “There’s no doubt that the future of our country lies in the hands of the youth; hence your role in national development cannot be overemphasized,” Dr Norton said.

Take in education
Dr Norton stressed the importance of a sound education, urging the youths to grasp at any opportunity for personal development. “As you benefit from this programme, I encourage you to ensure that you share the knowledge gained about social cohesion with your fellow youths and other members of your communities. The ministry will continue to provide you with the necessary support to ensure that your communities are unified,” Dr Norton stated. The opening ceremony was spiced with a number of dances and also presentations by the Mayor of Lethem, Carlton Beckles, Regional Chairman, Brian Allicock and Coordinator of the Ministry of Social Cohesion, Sharon Patterson. The programme will end next Sunday with a grand parade and rally in Lethem.