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Sustainability, inclusivity undergirding new Youth Empowerment Policy
As issues facing the youths of Guyana are being placed on the front burner, a new National Youth Empowerment Action Plan (NYEAP) is in the works, with sustainability and inclusivity key considerations going forward.
This is according to Minister within the Ministry of Education with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sports, Nicolette Henry, who made the announcement during recent International Youth Day celebrations.
According to Henry, the youths of Guyana play an integral role in the nation’s development. She stated that not only are youths valuable but are invaluable partners who can provide meaningful solutions. Focusing on remarks made by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon on the day’s observance, Henry quoted, “Youth movements and student groups are challenging traditional power structures and advocating a new social contract between States and societies. Young leaders have contributed fresh ideas, taken proactive measures, and mobilised through social media as never before.”
She further said that in order to foster these qualities in Guyana’s youths, a strategic approach is needed in the form of the NYEP.
Minister Nicolette Henry
“Our Government has proposed the development and implementation of a National Youth Empowerment Action Plan that supports focused and strategic youth development,” Henry said.
Similarly, UN Resident Coordinator Khadija Muse opined that the potential of Guyanese youths have not yet been reached. She added that the achievement of this potential is stymied by factors such as education and unemployment. However, Muse said that while youth development is a challenging task, youths are becoming more engaged by governments, civil agencies and non-governmental organisations and the public and private sectors.
Furthermore, she said, the policies which impact the lives of youths in Guyana should be reviewed while simultaneously pledging the UN’s support. Additionally, she stressed that with regards to policy implementation, time must not be lost on operational aspects of it.
As the Guyana Government moves forward with the NYEP, Minister Henry indicated that the National Youth Policy (NYP), which covers the period 2015 to 2020, is the first step in achieving youth development. She said that through the NYP, the Government will be able to enhance the lives of Guyanese youths and organise the work of communities, national, regional and international bodies and seek to advance youth identity, employment, participation, representation and ultimate well-being in Guyana.
Last month, the Education Ministry in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) hosted a two-day workshop aimed at the finalisation of the NYP. During the sessions, youths were able to raise a number of issues including respect, active participation in civil society and acceptance of diversity.
Furthermore, Education Minister Rupert Roopnaraine had emphasised that the NYP must not only be a report but a policy driven by action.
More recently, Finance Minister Winston Jordan during his budget presentation last week indicated that a draft of the NYP 2015 had been completed following wide consultations with various youth groups and other organisations.
“The National Youth Policy 2015 aims to build a nation where our youth are safe and healthy, have equal access to opportunities, can participate in public life and are empowered to meaningfully contribute to Guyana’s sustainable development. This comprehensive document captures the Government’s vision for the youths of Guyana. It caters for the needs of youth in the 15 to 35 cohort, which is over 50 percent of the population. Once accepted, a National Youth Policy Action Plan will be crafted and implemented,” he said.
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