Speech by Jonel Powell (Deputy Chairperson-PAM) presented at the 47th Annual Convention of the People’s Action Movement
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for life
This is the difference in philosophy between the Denzil Douglas Labour administration and administration of the PAM under the stewardship of Lindsay F P Grant.
The Labour Party’s strategy to control us is to keep poor, to keep us dependent of them, so that when ever we need anything we must run back to them to beg. But their plan has backfired; they have no more fish to give because Dougie done eat all. And where does that leave us?
But members and friends, where does that leave the youth of our nation?
Hungry! Literally hungry in too many instances where our people are at a point where they are struggling to put food on the table. And this where our convention theme for this year is most applicable, where our people are hurting the most. This is where the motivation of our people must focused, on our youth.
We must motivate them to create that movement, motivate them to create that movement that will rise up and tell the Denzil Douglas’ of this country that they can not and will not stand any more of his oppression, and tyranny.
We must motivate our young people to create that movement that will give us a government that we deserve, a government of the PAM under the leadership of Lindsay Grant, Eugene Hamilton, Shawn Richards and rest of their come the next general elections.
The motivation of our young people must begin in the schools. Unfortunately the Labour government does not understand that. They are too busy lining their pockets with bounty of our burdens and not concerned with lining our classrooms with necessary school supplies like furniture, books, toilet paper in the bathrooms, and of course Chalk.
On behalf of the young people who have been at a disadvantage in the schools of this country and in particular the young people of Sandy Point, I would like to publically thank the Hon. Shawn K. Richards of Constituency number 5 for raising the issue of lack of chalk in the classrooms in parliament and prompting the government the government to issue supplies.
Too many of our young people are dropping out of school. Too many of our young people are not even reaching the point of writing exams. They are losing the battle before they even begin.
This is the stage at which our young people must begin to be empowered. In a few months time around 500 young people are going to be leaving high schools in this country. Another couple hundred will be leaving the CFBC. What are they going to do?
Our resources are such that only a few can go off to University and College. What are the others going to do? These are your children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, cousins, sister, brothers. What opportunities are there out there for them?
TDC just this week announced 2 dozen redundancies. The government itself through the SSMC is about to lay off another 60 persons. WINN FM reports that only about 7 will be rehired elsewhere in government. Horsfords like many others has maintained a hiring freeze. In other words they not hiring any new people. What is going to happen to those hundred of school leavers, there are no jobs out there for them to earn a living.
Elections are not due anytime soon so there is no YES program to provide employment for a few months.
The People’s Action Movement believes that we have to equip our young people with the right training and entrepreneurial skill sets in hard economic times like this in particular. We believe in stimulating employment generation and investment by providing tax credit incentives companies that generate employment above previously established levels.
What about our University graduates who return home with degrees and can’t find jobs but still have to repay student loans.
A People’s Action Movement government will implement a Small Business Policy that secures 30% of all Government Contracts to the Small Business Sector. We know that one hand can’t clap.
We understand that we have to work with our local businesses to generate not just employment but meaningful employment for our young people. We believe in supporting local people because they are the ones that support us in turn.
I grew up playing basketball for the RAM’s Energizer Hitters from Dorset. When I did track and field in high school, we competed at the TDC interschool sports. Members and Friends, you see where I’m going with this?
You ever hear about any Chinese business sponsoring anything in St. Kitts or giving back to the people? We are not against foreign investment, we simply believe that their should be level playing field and that our local business that are the ones making the effort to employ those young people leaving are not put at a disadvantage.
We are not born with knowledge, we learn and acquire it. As young people we learner from our elders and those have gone before us. We look to parents, teachers, and other leaders in the community. We are lacking good role models for our young people. Parents are under pressure by the demands of an economy broken by Denzil Douglas and the Labour Party Government.
Teachers are demotivated by low salaries and lack of resources. Persons that we would expect to be able to look up to for guidance to set examples for our young are doing just the opposite. I am talking about people like our Prime Minister.
The United Nations describes youth as persons 35 years and younger. In 1993 the oldest of the youth in this country were 16 years old and were being encouraged by Dr. Denzil Douglas not to go to school, while the Labour movement through bottles and stones at our Parliament. Young people didn’t have a change under this administration.
The irresponsible statements by the Dr. Douglas over the years has left a bad taste in the mouths of our youth, and bad intentions in minds of many. No wonder our serious crime and murder rates have spiraled out of control under the watch of this Labour Government. It was just a few days ago that Denzil Douglas left us to wonder hat kind of leader do we have for our youth.
Our young people are clamoring for a respectable leader. We want a leader who is concerned about empowering us as opposed to holding us back. We want an honest leader with principles and integrity. We want a Prime Minister who can walk down the road holding his wife’s hand with his head high. We want a leader like Lindsay F P Grant.
Members and Friends, the margins are small. The timing is right. We can’t take anymore pressure under this Labour government. The young people are the one’s that need our help, our support, our guidance.
They are the one’s that will can create that movement to take us out of the corruption and oppression of the Labour government and give a us a government that we deserve. A government that they deserve. The young people hold the balance of power in this country.
Lets encourage them to use that power wisely and productively. Let us inspiring our youth to create a movement that bring about change that will empower them and return progress and prosperity to all.
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