Guyana hosting Caribbean Cadet Association confab

Aug 26, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – Leaders of Cadet Association across the region are meeting here in Guyana for the 35th Caribbean Cadet Association Commandants’ Conference.

Executives of the Caribbean Cadet Association

A section of the gathering at the opening session of the conference

The five-day activity commenced earlier this week with 16 member countries, eight of which are participating virtually, the Guyana Defence Force said in a press release. This forum provides a platform for member countries to work together and share best practices and maintain a unified approach to build character and teach young people vital life skills for tomorrow’s world.

The conference is being hosted by the Guyana Defence Force through the Guyana National Cadet Corps.

In opening remarks, Chief-of-Staff (ag), Colonel Omar Khan welcomed the visiting delegates, adding that the Guyana Defence Force is pleased to host this year’s conference. He said the conference comes at a time when youths are yielding to other influences in an evolving and increasingly complex social environment. In this regard, he noted that efforts to innovate and maintain a unified approach are critical and as such, he encouraged that the current challenges be discussed with a view to addressing them.

This year’s conference is themed, “Building Resilience, Fostering Networks and Embracing new Norms,” and this he said, is most fitting for this period of focus. To this end, Col. Khan recommended that delegates focus on ‘decision-making’ and ‘reading’ which will be beneficial to youth development. “We are who we are, based on the decisions we made in our lives, and it will also influence who we will be as we grow old. This forum is an opportunity for us to influence the youths at an early stage in their lives, to make decisions that will have good consequences for them as they develop and thus be better able to positively influence their peers and the environment in which they operate,” he urged.

On the issue of reading, Col. Khan urged that the association foster a culture of reading by establishing an electronic portal which will allow youths to access literature. “Reading gives information and information aids good decision-making,” he stressed.

Chairman of the Caribbean Cadet Association, St. Lucian Lieutenant Colonel Nathan Hyacinth observed that this year’s conference is extremely unique since the world is learning to adapt to new norms following the COVID-19 pandemic which had made the world a smaller place. He referenced the school system which has adopted a blended learning process and noted that the association must adjust to meet the changing environment. “Together, we must see ourselves as the solution to the issues facing youths, and work together to meet mandates in promoting good citizens for our countries,” he said.

Assistant Chief Education Officer – Secondary, Tiffany Harvey reassured the Ministry of Education’s commitment to the local Cadet Programme. “The Ministry of Education stand committed to this programme. We join hands with the Guyana Defence Force as we advance our mission to produce well-rounded students, the ideal Caribbean citizen who can compete in the global arena,” she explained.

The Guyana National Cadet Corps (GNCC) was resuscitated in 2018 and is operational in all 11 educational districts within the country – 34 schools, 2400 students and 337 teachers are participating in the programme.

The GNCC was accepted as a member of the Caribbean Cadet Association at its 2019 meeting in Trinidad and Tobago. The conference is being held at the Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel, Providence, East Bank Demerara.

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