(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown)
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary-General Edwin Carrington has warned that “we ignore at our peril” the recommendations of the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development’s Report.

The Secretary-General was addressing a Special Meeting of the CARICOM Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) which opened Thursday in Suriname, one day before the Special two-day CARICOM Summit on Youth Development ending in Paramaribo today.

The COHSOD’s main business was to discuss in detail the Report of the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development (CCYD) on the situation of youth in the Caribbean and according to Secretary-General Carrington, its task was to fashion the framework for action to be taken on the recommendations of the Commission.

At the opening ceremony, speakers agreed that youth participation in the Caribbean Community would have to be given greater attention not only by Heads of Government but by the Ministers responsible for implementing policies. But the message which resonated from all speakers was a charge for CARICOM citizens to step out and standout for CARICOM.

Barbados Youth Ambassador, Christaneisha Soleyn opened the innings, challenging Ministers of Youth attending the COHSOD to find the time to dialogue with their young people, provide guidance to them and solicit from them advice on how best to address their unique situations. She then noted that young people had progressed steadily from where they were “heard and not seen,” to where they now have a voice,” and charged her peers to use that voice to promote the Caribbean Community.

“You are creative, talented, and passionate,” she declared, “use your creativity, your talent and passion to contribute to national development; and now that you have a say, you must stand up straight with backbone; step up and stand out for CARICOM,” she challenged.

Jermaine Wade, former CARICOM Youth Ambassador, now Parliamentary Secretary of Youth Affairs, Community Services and Sports, Montserrat, told the meeting that based on his experience as a Minister, he had observed that politicians very often feigned support for youth in the hope of either silencing them or manipulating their support for political gains.

In his estimation, this kind of ‘tokenism’ could not foster development and by extension regional development.

“It’s time to honestly recognise the importance of genuinely involving the youth in the critical decision-making machinery of the Community,” Mr Wade asserted.

Urging youth to be ready to participate, Mr Wade said, “When you are given the opportunity to participate, you must demonstrate that you are not just willing, but also ready to step up and speak up for CARICOM.”

Suriname’s Minister of Education and Community Development, Edwin Wolf, reminded the COHSOD that at every level, suitable measures and actions should be taken to put appropriate conditions in place to help young people to develop their potential: “The clichéd phrase that “youth of today is the future of tomorrow,’’ should be discarded. The future of young people is NOW….TODAY, we must listen to them; TODAY we must help them so they can develop their potential and become responsible citizens who can make a contribution to the country and the Region.”