Minister of State in the Office of the Attorney General, Corey Lane, is of the view that the voice of the youth must be heard.
Mr. Lane made this announcement today during a meeting with Youth Parliament representatives, members of the National Peace Program, and a visiting delegation from EduVantage of the United Kingdom, at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Development, at Sky Mall, Haggatt Hall, St. Michael.
“Every single move you make and every step you take, you will realise that there is a need for youth input. There is a phenomenon that we are having across the Caribbean, in particular, but across the world in relation to climate change, in relation to youth employment, in relation to crime and violence, and the absence of the youth voice, for me, spells a disaster,” he stated.
The Minister stressed the importance of having interactive sessions with the youth because their voice needs to be heard. He emphasised that the absence of the voice of the youth spells disaster simply because adults cannot prepare the youth for the future without their input.
Mr. Lane further noted that the gathering today was important in moving forward for a better tomorrow. He also suggested that it is imperative that youth coming from different cultures and backgrounds are able to share the ideas among themselves to come up with solutions.
The Minister likened policy makers to being social pharmacists who believe that a prescription is needed to improve the “lot of our lives now and for the future”. He issued a challenge to the attendees: “Will you fill that prescription? Are you up to the task? Do you have what it takes? I believe so. But more importantly, it is that you believe so, and you will take action.”
Mr. Lane further stated that talking and rhetoric are easy, but he maintained that results not only determine success and the future, but also required effort, energy, time, and hard work. He asked the attendees: “Do you have what it takes to deliver that?”
He also encouraged them to consider themselves as masterpieces in progress. “You’re no longer a blank slate, some art piece… you can grab that sketch pad; you can grab that brush, and you can finish your masterpiece and make sure that you do the best that you can do,” Minister Lane emphasised.