AS I reflect on the host of events during this year’s independence anniversary celebration, my mind raced back to my teenage years to a West Indian medley, “we young and strong, we ain’t ‘fraid no soul in town”.

There is no doubt that the spotlight was on young people who were involved in or were at the Flag Raising ceremony in Georgetown or in the Regions; or were partying at one of the several concerts and mini-carnivals.
For the first time, both the State and private sector partnered to allow young people to freely occupy their space. The State’s “no objection” resulted in the suspension of some of the “law and order” restrictions.

All weekend (and it ain’t over yet), I could hear the sounds and feel the vibrations in my studies and sitting room at the Residence until the wee hours of the morning. From Marriott through Palm Court to Stabroek Market square; from the Kitty Roundabout through D’urban Park to the Providence Stadium, it seemed that the entire Capital was literally vibrating, shaking, partying! And the ring of the old tune in my head continued: “we young and strong…”

CULTURAL EXTRAVAGANZAS
Guyana has at last woken to the pent-up, social spirit of our young people, the blast of whose energies was released at the various cultural extravaganzas, the so-called cultural explosions, one segment questionably titled “stink and dutty”. The bacchanal aside, I hope that the exposure of our youths to soca artiste such as Machel Montano and our Commonwealth Games Medalist, Troy Doris, would help to boost positive cultural and sports awareness.

There were other events that were less jazzy, such as the Rights of the Child Commission Workshop and the Business Youth Summit, as part of Youth Week observances. As regards the latter, I wish to extend congratulations to the young entrepreneurs who have each benefitted from between $500,000 and $1 million grants to improve their business undertakings. I encourage others to access the $70 million Youth Innovation Project of Guyana Fund from which $2 million could be available for each project that is using science, technology, engineering, agriculture, anthropology, archaeology, arts, mathematics and spirituality.

DECENT WORK
Any of the above would constitute decent work for which our Constitution provides as an inalienable or fundamental right. The surge into self-employment by young people must be encouraged as enjoyment of their right not only to work, but to the free choice of employment.

I applauded the Summit, the first of its kind in Guyana, for focussing on empowerment and education in business. As I told the youthful gathering, one cannot become an engineer, a teacher, a business person or entrepreneur without the requisite guidance, training, knowledge and exposure.

It is the embracing of opportunities for education, networking, skills-enhancement and overall empowerment that will allow youths in particular to fully realize the fundamental human right to the enjoyment of work.
The preamble of our Constitution states that “the future of Guyana belongs to its young people”. Elsewhere, they say that the present belongs to youths, who aspire to live in a safe society that listens to their voices, protects their rights and provides opportunities for them to work and be productive citizens.

NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY
Not long after our Coalition came to office in May 2015, our Government completed the drafting of a National Youth Policy, which was the final result after several years of research studies.

The Policy defines youths as persons between the ages of 14 and 35, who make up some 68% of our population. However, there were no statistics on how many of our youth population had no jobs, or couldn’t get support to start their own businesses. But the Caribbean Development Bank in 2015 issued a report under the title “Youths are our future” that placed unemployment in the Region amongst youth at around 40%, which was probably also the level for Guyana.

About the same period, Caricom governments commissioned an analysis of opportunities and challenges facing youths in the Region. It’s report, Eye on the Future, highlighted rising youth crimes, unemployment and drugs use. It launched a Caribbean Community Youth Development Action Plan, which placed emphasis on encouraging youth entrepreneurship.

YOUTH LIFE MATTERS
Our youths must be brought into the social, cultural, economic and political processes of the State. Our young people cannot be left outside or left behind. Their views, their condition, their life matter in everything!

They cannot be exploited as victims for media headlines on drugs, crime and violence, and jail. Our youths are more beautiful than those headlines, if given a chance to seize opportunities for self-development and to pursue the ambition that drives them to be better, productive citizens.

Guyana boasts a consistently high percentage of its state budgets for education. The door to education in Guyana allows, according to President Granger, Access, Attendance and Achievements – the Triple A Policy. When the new government started to work, President Granger rolled out what I describe as the 4 Bs Policy under which boats, buses, bicycles and boots were provided to students as a pilot venture. Today, our young people can transition to the 5 Cs Policy – of entering Commerce, accessing Cash as grant, Credits, business Counselling and learning the rudimentary of Contracts.

START SMALL; GROW BIG
When the music subsides and the gyrating stops, our young people have to return to the drawing board of their life, to plan and map out what are the next steps in their studies or their pursuit of productive enterprises. They can take an example from the youths in the Indigenous settlement of Karasabai, in Rupununi West.

A Karasabai youth leader recently announced: “We have peanut farming. We have cassava processing into farine and cassava bread, and also cassareep and we also have cattle rearing…These projects will generate revenue for the people and create employment opportunities for youths.”

Today, I ask our youths to remember Karasabai. Whether in the interior or on the coast, business ventures, like roots in the ground, always start with an idea, a stem or a seed. It is important that you learn to appreciate all types of business. None is too low or undignified. Start small. Grow big!
May 27, 2018