Some potential student leaders in secondary schools across Barbados will soon have their say on issues which impact their daily lives.
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This will come in the form of a youth seminar, under the theme ???Influencing Our World: Making a Positive Impact??? to be hosted by the Child Care Board (CCB), next Wednesday, May 13, at the Barbados Workers??? Union, Harmony Hall, St. Michael. It begins at 9:00 a.m. and Minister of Youth, Family and Sports, Dr. Esther Byer Suckoo, will deliver the feature address, while Chairman of the Board, Maureen Graham, will give remarks.
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The 88 participants will discuss ???Agriculture: A Solution for the Current Economic Crisis???, ???Technology: Friend or Foe of the Youth???, ???The Impact of HIV/AIDS on the Youth: Are the Current Strategies Working????, ???Youth Leadership: What Does it Mean???? and ???Sports: The Other Alternative???.
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Emphasising the importance of the workshop, Director of the CCB, Joan Crawford said: ???Youth participation is spoken about a lot, but it is not implemented and it is an opportunity to hear from the children??? so in keeping with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, young people have a voice and they must be given a chance to share that voice.???
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Mrs. Crawford explained that there was a practical component to the seminar, explaining that in the afternoon the students would have an opportunity to display their creativity when they design projects which are expected to be implemented in their schools.
According to her, ???the creation of the projects would be examples of youth leadership in practice, since the leader would have to motivate the followers??? in order to execute the plan.