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Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 04, 2016 (SKNIS): The Federal Youth Policy Initiative Jingle and Banner was officially launched on Friday (November 04) at Independence Square, amid a festive crowd of young people who attended the Youth Month March and Rally.

 

The jingle captures in a catchy tune the elements of the Draft Youth Policy, which was designed to streamline the development of young people on the national level. The jingle called on listeners to participate fully in the consultations and other interactive sessions that will follow over the coming months. In the same vein, the banner features youth from the federation in different settings and highlights the theme of the initiative: “Mainstreaming Youth in National Development.”

 

The march and rally, hosted by the Department of Youth Empowerment, was designed to promote the positive contributions that most young people make in St. Kitts and Nevis to nation building and the need to further engage them at various levels of decision making. The march saw more than 300 young persons marching through the streets, capturing the attention of individuals in the center of the capital, Basseterre.

 

At the rally, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth, Stanley Knight, said that the government was mindful of the role that positive youth continue to play in shaping the society and stressed that those contributions cannot go unnoticed. Those that are not as positive will also be addressed in the policy with strategies to improve their conditions and offer constructive alternatives.

 

Special Advisor to the Minister of Youth, Vernon Connor, expressed similar sentiments and said the establishment of a Federal Youth Policy will help to channel and further develop the creative energies of the youth population.

 

Zamiqua Paul, a 4A3 student of the Charles E. Mills Secondary School said that she had a good time at the march and rally. “It was great to see all the youth from the different schools come out to participate,” she said, referring to the fourteen primary and high schools represented at the event. “I think they should keep having these [types of activities] to promote that we [youth] are needed in society and what we can [accomplish] in the future.”

 

Tyrese Anderson, a Grade 6 student at the St. Pauls Primary School had similar feelings. He described the rally as “fun” and said he eagerly participated in the surveys that were being conducted on behalf of the Youth Empowerment Department to contribute to the revisions of the Draft Youth Policy.

 

Information being gathered included the respondent’s vision on the ideal youth from St. Kitts and Nevis; what bothers them most about the society? and how in tune is the government with young people?

 

Youth Month activities continue next week with the 25 Most Remarkable Teens Awards on November 10, Youth Group Fair on November 12 and Youth Island Bike Ride on November 13.