YOUNG people from across the country will have an opportunity to raise their concerns and make recommendations for youth development, as the inaugural youth conference commences at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre today.

The main focus of the two-day conference will be to promote youth participation and inclusion in national issues, said Director of Youth Melissa Carmichael in an invited comment during a youth reception, which gave the participants a chance to network.

“The issue we are addressing now is participation and inclusion…we have been on the ground and the complaint is that young people feel left out,” said Carmichael. She added that the Department of Youth conceptualised the youth conference with the idea of ensuring that young people share their thoughts and concerns.

Young people will be able to compare and contrast issues on the coastland and those in the hinterland regions. “They will be able to talk about their culture and even discuss ways to resolve those matters in their regions,” said Carmichael.

After the discussions, the recommendations and suggestions for youth development will be drafted in a document and submitted to the Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton.
Some of the young people said they will use the opportunity to ensure that issues such as youth unemployment and equality are highlighted and addressed.

“We were looking for 300 young people and we got 500 applicants…we had to cut the number down because we wanted a balance from each region,” said the director of youth.
Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton, welcomed the participation of young people from across the country, noting that the conference presents an opportunity for youths to represent their needs. He believes that the sharing of information will help the participants to appreciate the lives of each other.