(BIS Photo/Letisha Henderson)
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Nassau, Bahamas – The Caribbean has ‘extensive’
intellectual, cultural and sporting heritage that should be further developed Prime
Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas the Right Hon. Perry G. Christie, who
is Chairman of CARICOM, observed at the Opening Ceremonies of the 26th
Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the
Caribbean Community (CARICOM). Prime
Minister Christie said Caribbean youth development and empowerment should be
the focus of discussions to ensure
tomorrow’s leaders are prepared.
CARICOM’s meetings take place February 26-27,
2015 at Melia Nassau Beach Resort.
Mr. Christie said: “The mandate of CARICOM
leaders to address the common goal of a sustained developmental path for the
common man and woman precipitated my proposal that we discuss the topic of
‘Leveraging CARICOM’s Human, Cultural and Natural Resources for the Economic
Development of the Community.’”
He noted the Strategic Plan for the Community
that was approved at the Thirty-Fifth Regular Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda
had identified the creative and service industries as key economies for the
Region.
The evidence is cemented, he said, in the
world-wide recognition of Caribbean personalities such as Bob Marley, the
Mighty Sparrow, Lenny Kravitz, Edwidge Danticat, The Golden Girls 4 x 100 Relay
Team, Rihanna, Usain Bolt, Ato Boldon and others who have received
international acclaim for their talents and contributions.
While it is important to applaud the triumphs
of those who have already made their mark on the world stage, he continued, it
is still incumbent on regional leaders to assist the rest of the Caribbean
societies to realize their dreams.
NASSAU, The Bahamas – The Bahamas National Youth Choir performs at the Opening Ceremony of the 26th Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Thursday morning, February 26, at Melia Nassau Beach Resort. (BIS Photo/Patrick Hanna)
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The Prime Minister said to this end,
Caribbean leaders had already started to address that objective: “We began this
process in 2010 in Suriname with a Summit on Youth Development,” said Mr.
Christie. “The time is optimal for us to be active in implementing the ideas
drawn from the youth themselves and contained in the Declaration of Paramaribo
on the future of youth in the Caribbean.”
In that Declaration leaders agreed to support actions aimed at
empowering and developing youth in the region.
“We have done the research. We have the views
of the youth. Let us take the necessary action to deliver on the provision of
Paramaribo and ensure that
tomorrow’s leaders are academically, socially and
mentally ready for building on the policies of yesteryear,” he said.
He further stated that females should not be
left behind in the process and that every effort should be made to empower
females.
“In tandem with that we must also ensure that
female empowerment is a priority not only as a moral imperative but also as a
social necessity,” said Mr. Christie. “In
this latter regard, it is a statistical fact that over fifty percent of our
families are run by single mothers. Recognizing, as we do, that the family is
the most basic, most fundamental, building block of society, the case for
female empowerment, inclusive of full equality for women in relation to their
male counterparts, is therefore too compelling to countenance any serious
dissension.” (BIS Photo/Letisha
Henderson)