SKNYPA celebrates seven years of youth activism

By Melissa Bryant
Reporter~SKNVibes.com

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE St. Kitts National Youth Parliament Association (SKNYPA) recently celebrated a developmental milestone when it held its Seventh Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Warner Park Stadium Player’s Room on Saturday, September 27.

The group’s AGM was held under the theme “BAD: Boldness, Awareness and Diversity: The Keys to Breaking Barriers and Opening Doors”. Chairwoman of the event Jihan Williams stated that this particular theme was chosen because “in the face of so many global, regional and local crises, it’s important for the voices of young people to be heard. We know that we’ll face a lot of closed doors and obstacles just because we’re young”.

The featured speaker was the Hon. Mark Brantley, Leader of the Opposition in the Federal Parliament, and according to Williams, the choice was a no-brainer.
 
“It was important to hear from Mr. Brantley; important to hear from somebody like him who has broken ground. It was also important for us to know the right ways of getting through to people and breaking barriers and opening doors.”

In his presentation, Brantley highlighted the myriad of challenges that the nation currently faces, including the high cost of living, increasing violence and crime, and the uncertain ripple effects of a teetering US economy. He however emphasised his belief in the will of the nation and stated that “we must be aware of our problems so that we are bold to recognise and confront them and fashion solutions. We must harness the discipline to implement our solutions, unpopular as some may be, in the short term”.

In conjunction with the AGM, the Association held an induction ceremony to formally welcome new members into the group’s ranks. Following this ceremony, a new Executive was elected to chart the course of the organisation for the upcoming year.  ~~Adz:Right~~

Azilla Clarke, President of SKNYPA, gave a brief historical overview of the Association, noting the group had developed into more than just “a group of young persons who debated in Parliament once per year. Some of our activities over the past seven months include a national symposium on crime and the publication of a simplified version of five fundamental rights enshrined in the Federal Constitution”.

“The association,” she added, “was founded to allow for ordinary people to do extraordinary things, and in the coming year we will be continuing this mandate. Our upcoming activities include the launch of our second publication, as well as completing the work from the crime symposium. We will also be assisting literacy through our book drive, as well as continuing to ensure that the youth play an active role in the development of national issues. That is what SKNYPA is committed to, and what each and every member holds dear.”