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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
Commonwealth Secretary General Addresses Youth Empowerment During Bahamas Visit
By Office of Communication, The College of The Bahamas
Oct 9, 2014 - 5:31:01 PM
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His Excellency Karmalesh Sharma, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, was the third presenter at the EDGE Distinguished Lecture Series hosted by The College of The Bahamas. (Photo: Courtesy of The College of The Bahamas.)
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Nassau, Bahamas - The youth of the Commonwealth – citizens between the ages of 15 and 29 – are three times more likely than their older counterparts to be unemployed, leaving these countries vulnerable to social and political instability, according to Commonwealth Secretary General His Excellence Karmalesh Sharma.
Mr. Sharma was the distinguished lecturer addressing emerging leaders at The College of The Bahamas and members of the College community recently on “Youth Leaders In The Commonwealth”.
Sixty percent of the Commonwealth’s two billion citizens are age 29 and under.
“Youth unemployment has become a huge global issue. The proportion of young people not in employment, education or training – they have an acronym for it NEET – has grown in a majority of countries for which data exist. Prolonged youth unemployment threatens the social and political stability,” he said.
In some countries the youth unemployment rate exceeds 50 percent. The situation is so critical that developing and implementing initiatives to support, engage and empower youth is an imperative. A key part of the focus, therefore, remains on effecting basic changes.
“It should not just focus on grand projects, but also on the importance of simple changes, in daily operations and future programme planning that include young people and make a difference in their lives and livelihoods. By linking activities across sectors, The Commonwealth can make a contribution of immense and enduring value to its young citizens,” Mr. Sharma told the audience who packed the auditorium of the Harry C. Moore Library and Information Centre at The College of The Bahamas.
His Excellency Karmalesh Sharma, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, addressing a packaged audience in the auditorium of the Harry C. Moore Library and Information Centre at The College of The Bahamas on Tuesday, September 30th, 2014 on the topic: “Youth Leaders In The Commonwealth.” (Photo: Courtesy of The College of The Bahamas.)
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Mr. Sharma’s lecture came a few days after the Department of Statistics released the 2013 Household Expenditure Survey that gives the most recent data on poverty in The Bahamas. It revealed that the age group with the highest incidence of poverty people younger than 20 years old (18.8%).
According to the Commonwealth Secretary General, the challenges affecting youth throughout the Commonwealth are “pressing and urgent.”
In reversing these challenges and empowering young people, enabling conditions must be developed under which they can act on their own behalf and on their own terms, rather than under the direction of others, Mr. Sharma said.
The Commonwealth’s plan of action for youth empowerment is designed to engage governments, strategic partners and young people in a transformational agenda. The strategic objectives include: implementing measures to promote the economic enfranchisement of young people and their participation in the economy; strengthening youth ministries, national youth policies and legislative and constitutional provisions impacting youth affairs and promoting the full participation of young people in decision-making at all levels.
“By working with and through youth-led bodies at national, regional and pan-Commonwealth levels, The Commonwealth influence can have a multiplying effect in driving development, particularly at [the] grass roots. While the potential of young people themselves to effect change is often underestimated, in the Commonwealth we increasingly support the youth-led organizations to lead change,” Mr. Sharma explained.
The Commonwealth’s theme for next year is “A Young Commonwealth.”
The Department of Student Leadership and International Relations at The College organized the Emerging Leaders Distinguished Lecture. It provides opportunities for diplomats and international dignitaries to engage members of The College and the community on matters of international importance.
The resident Chinese and Austrian diplomats have given other distinguished
© Copyright 2014 by thebahamasweekly.com
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