Latin, Caribbean youth desirous of participating in policy decisions
Published:Saturday | July 15, 2023 | 12:10 AMAsha Wilks/Gleaner Writer
BRUSSELS, Belgium:
YOUTH FROM across Latin America and the Caribbean have demonstrated a strong desire to stand united in their efforts to inform and advise global leaders about the needs of, and the challenges faced by, their demographic, while also supplying them with potential solutions to these issues.
By representing the millions of young people across the region, the diverse group who participated in day one of the two-day EU-Latin America and the Caribbean Forum – Partners in Change: Youth, Civil Society and Local Authorities – discussed topics surrounding fair, green and digital transition; education, skills development and employment; and the participation of youth in public policies and decision making.
The group, who participated in the breakout session ‘Empowering Youth for Reducing Inequalities’, produced recommendations that are expected to be passed on to heads of state and to the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG-INTPA).
The DG-INTPA is charged with developing the EU’s international partnership and development strategy, with the ultimate objective of reducing poverty, ensuring sustainable development, and promoting democracy, human rights, and the rule of law around the world.
For Gamania Ceide, a member of the Le Conseil consultatif sur la jeunesse (The Advisory Council on Youth CCJ), a non-governmental partner in the co-management structure for the Council of Europe’s youth sector, the event was one of great importance. This is because it allowed for youths to gather in a safe space not only to speak to their own challenging realities, but where they could voice their perspectives while also participating in a significant way, while having the ears of those individuals responsible for decision making and policy changes.
‘FAILED’ GOVERNMENT
Referencing her own realities, the Haitian woman told The Gleaner that her country’s government has “failed”. By this, she indicated that first from a political standpoint – since President Jovenel Moise was assassinated on July 7, 2021, leaving Prime Minister Ariel Henry to make all decisions – and then in relation to areas like education and health, to which citizens have limited access.
She further lamented that there were very few young leaders participating in the country and in the decision-making process as well, this stemming from security issues arising from such an involvement.
As a youth leader in Haiti, one who is passionate about establishing peace in her communities, Ceide said that the youth needed to be at the forefront of discussions regarding peace-building processes and to demand the State to participate in peace-building initiatives.
Similarly, Young Leaders Alliance of Belize (YLAB) member Kalen Middleton stressed that she particularly appreciated the focus on vulnerable minority groups such as people with disabilities, indigenous people, those with different sexual orientations, among others, which she was passionate about.
“It’s important because you can’t have anyone left behind. For a country to truly develop, you need to take care of everyone,” she said.
Her satisfaction with the European Commission and its partners’ efforts in organising the event, she told The Gleaner, was, as a member of the YLAB – which was founded a year ago and has only recently selected its first executive team two months ago, the wealth of knowledge she would receive from fellow learned participants. Additionally, Middleton said that she would ensure to make every effort to absorb “every inch of information” to pass on to her peers, in an effort to advance the organisation.
The forum was jointly organised by the European Commission, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and CAF–Development Bank of Latin America ahead of the EU-CELAC summit of heads of state and government that will convene from July 17-18.
At the summit which will be co-chaired by Charles Michel, president of the European Council, and the prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, in his role as CELAC pro tempore president, a wide range of topics with a view to further strengthening the EU-CELAC partnership will be discussed. They are as follows: enhanced cooperation in multilateral for a) global peace and stability, trade and investment, economic recovery, combating climate change, research and innovation; and b) justice and security for citizens.