…say time for meaningful participation in leadership

YOUTH participation in leadership is something that needs to be on the front burner of every discussion, said some of the young people who attended the inaugural Guyana National Youth Conference, which commenced on Thursday.

Young people believe that they have been shunned or undermined for too long and therefore need to meaningfully participate in leadership, especially at a national level. “They always say we are not experienced, we do not know anything…we had too many talk shops, we need to look at what we are doing to make sure that young people have meaningful participation in leadership,” said one of the youth participants, Delano Sancho.
Amidst applause from his counterparts, Sancho said those in leadership positions need to set better examples for aspiring leaders.

Deputy Mayor of Georgetown, Akeem Peter agreed that there are not enough good examples so young people need to create examples for future generations. “We always look towards someone to lead us… what we need to do is when we put forward an idea, we must hold leaders accountable…I don’t think leaders understand how serious we are,” said Peter, adding that young people need to understand their role in leadership.

He believes that there is more to leadership than just a title or position. In that regard, he urged young people to build their capacity in order efficiently function as a leader.
Managing Director of the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), Joel Simpson also encouraged young people to explore their talents before taking up leadership positions in society. “We all cannot run for office but some of us might be good in other professions… explore your talents and skills, expand your frame,” he said during his response to questions at the youth conference.

The main focus of the two-day conference was 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.