November 4th, 215 -- It is with great pride that we, the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors of St Kitts & Nevis, lift our voices to address our nation on the event of Youth Month 2015. This month’s activities will centre around the theme; “Give youth a voice and inspire greatness.” As our federation pauses to recognize the enormous potential of youth as catalyst for innovation, for development and for positive social change, we the young people of St Kitts & Nevis would also like to acknowledge the greatness that emerges each day from within our ranks.
Across our federation, young people are working tirelessly to build the foundations of our nation’s future. Throughout all sectors of society, in each and every corner of St Kitts & Nevis our youth are emerging daily as community leaders, activists, entrepreneurs, and founders of NGOs, outstanding athletes, agriculturalists, musicians, and artists. Our young people are in every office and company across all levels of government and the private sector. We, the youth, are at the forefront of the wave of social engagement and activism that is sweeping our country. The young people of St Kitts & Nevis continue to both embody and inspire the greatness upon which our nation is built.
We applaud the leaders of our nation and those of the older generations, who continue to ensure that the voice of the youth is not only recognized in the month of November, but is heard, acknowledged and taken into serious account 365 days a year. And we commend the multitude of efforts that have been made by the leaders of our society to empower our young people. Programmes like the CARICOM Youth Ambassador Programme, the St Kitts National Youth Parliament and the Nevis Youth Council continue to ensure the inclusion of our youth in national dialogue and policy making. Initiatives like 25 Most Remarkable Teens highlight the positivity that our young people embody, while partnerships with UNICEF and other regional and international organizations have provided unparalleled opportunities for youth empowerment and capacity building.
We recognize and highly commend these and numerous other platforms that have been developed over the years to give youth a voice. However, we would also like to remind this nation that while our youth have always had a voice, that voice has not always been heard.
The voice of our nation’s youth is a dynamic one – it is ever evolving to reflect the vast array of realities that our young people face. The youth voice is not a single entity – it encompasses a huge diversity of perspectives, experiences, knowledge, opinions and attitudes. Youth expression takes place at every level of society and utilizes every medium possible. Through the arts - music, poetry, dance and drama our generation is sharing its unique energy and ideas.
Through technology and social media our young people are reshaping the world of communication. We are using this innovative new voice to disseminate information and ideas to unleash positive change at a faster rate than ever before. Whether it be via Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp or YouTube, our youth are creating content, sharing ideas and igniting the type of social awareness and participation that is destined to transform the landscape of our nation into one that is youth driven.
On the front of social activism young people across St. Kitts & Nevis are collaborating to form youth groups, organizations and clubs. Through groups like MADE in St Kitts and Each One Reach One in Nevis, youth leaders are working tirelessly to unite our nation’s youth and defy the negative stigma that so often follows us. Training and development in youth organization is being initiated among our young people at the earliest possible stage - as primary and secondary schools across the federation are, at this moment, in the process of electing Student Councils that will participate in both governance and representation.
The youth of 2015 are facing more challenges than ever before. Issues like poverty, unemployment, crime and violence and the relevance of our education system touch our lives daily and remain at the forefront of every youth driven agenda. Citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis, we must recognize that the voice of our nation’s youth is a small part of a much louder dialogue seeking to address these very issues.
Right now across the CARICOM region, young men and women are collaborating to achieve the collectively established goals of millions of Caribbean youth. We are putting pressure on our respective governments to ensure that the youth agenda forms the backbone of each and every national policy decision. We are aligning our regional action plans to ensure partnership and collaboration with Youth Councils across the entire Commonwealth region and remain guided by the UNDP Sustainable development Goals.
It is without a doubt that the voice of the youth of St. Kitts & Nevis has inspired our citizens – young and old alike, to achieve true greatness. We proudly commend the youth of our nation whose voices have made themselves heard, those who have had the courage to speak up loud and clear against the marginalization of the youth agenda. We applaud the youth whose voices of positivity and hope have defied the negative stereotype of our generation. We are reminded of the accomplishments of our young people who have refused to allow their goals and be shunted aside.
Kittitians and Nevisians old and young alike, as we celebrate Youth Month 2015, let us continue to stand in solidarity with our young people. Let us recognize those whose voices have risen in unison against policies and national agendas that exclude the youth. Young people of St Kitts and Nevis, we must continue to ensure that we are given a voice. Be reminded however that we cannot wait to be given a voice before we speak out. We must find our voices and use them to inspire our nation to achieve the future greatness that we know is possible.
*************************
DISCLAIMER
This article was posted in its entirety as received by SKNVibes.com. This media house does not correct any spelling or grammatical error within press releases and commentaries. The views expressed therein are not necessarily those of SKNVibes.com, its sponsors or advertisers
