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Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 29, 2016 (SKNIS): Deputy Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Honourable Shawn Richards, has called for more consideration of social factors when developing youth development strategies.

 

While addressing delegates at the just concluded Meeting of OECS Ministers of Youth and Social Development that was held in St. Kitts on April 27 and 28, Deputy PM Richards welcomed the discussions on a variety of topics including Environment and Climate Change, Education and Training, Employment and Entrepreneurship and others.

 

“I think that far too often we tend to focus on these issues without looking at the social side of things (and) how socially, these very same issues impact young people,” he said.

 

The link between education and social development was also highlighted by Honourable Richards, who holds the portfolio for Education and Youth in the St. Kitts and Nevis Government.

 

“It is one thing to ensure that our young people are educated on various issues,” he said “but the fact is that many of the young person within the OECS sub region and the CARICOM region are in need of that social intervention if indeed they are to become positive role models within our society and to contribute positively towards the development of the OECS.”

 

The deputy prime minister acknowledged that resources, particularly financial resources, were limited in many regional countries but he urged his counterparts to recommit to advancing social policies that promote the advancement of youth.