YOUTHS drawn from youth groups across Linden, benefitted from a two-day workshop hosted by the Department of Social Cohesion, which aimed at fostering unity among their particular demographic and how they can work together for nation building.

The training, themed, ‘unity in diversity: bridging gaps in communities’ has been conducted in several regions, with community leaders and regional officials targeted to participate.
In Linden, youths however participated, and, according to lead facilitator, Wil Campbell, while the training was part of the greater mandate of the Department to foster cohesion, something that started some years ago, given our present political situation, there was need to intensify those efforts. “What we have found is that it has become timelier in this period of political uncertainty but it is not something that is geared to deal with this specific period,” he said.

Giving an overview on the two-day session, Campbell said, “Its purpose was to help people identify their biases and learn how those biases stymie regional development and national development…we want them to get past the biases and stereotypes, to get pass the divisions and look at how you can see those differences as an asset rather than a liability and how you can reach across those differences and pull all those diverse people and help them to reach for one common goal.” One of the sessions focused on the three B’s : Binding, Bonding and Bridging, which enabled youths to see the importance of widening out of their group and bonding with other groups, thus enriching their national experience.

Other sessions included lessons on values and diversity, uncovering biases and stereotypes, how divisions make us weaker, how diversity makes us stronger, unity for united communities amongst others. At the end of the session, the youths were divided into two groups and were tasked with implementing a project aimed at fostering social cohesion within their community. This project will be sponsored by the Department of Social Cohesion and other stakeholders.