Henry Charles, Regional Director, Commonwealth Youth Programme Caribbean Centre

Prevailing economic, social and political factors and policies have not only conspired to undermine the capacity of the state to perform its role as a medium to facilitate economic and social justice but has also diminish the prevalence of traditional modes of socialization and indeed the influence of institutions such as family, church, schools, the state apparatus and even youth clubs.

The truth is many young persons have successfully managed the challenges posed by these socio-economic, socio-political and socio-cultural realities and are making significant contributions to the development of their communities and societies.

However there are a disturbingly high numbers of young people who have become victims of social decadence, social exclusion and marginalization. Consequently the youth development landscape is replete with examples of:

• Increasing hopelessness among many young persons.
• Increasing engagement of significant numbers of youth in risky behaviors.
• Exodus away from involvement in traditional club activity.
• Growing trends of poverty among urban and now increasingly rural youths.
• Disturbing trends of disrespect and disregard for symbols of authority and officialdom.
• Adoption of new and controversial methods of expressing their frustrations, issues and concerns.
• Increasing impatience with procedure and bureaucratic systems and structures.
• Increasing involvement of young persons in socially deviant behaviors.

These problems are further exacerbated by the pervasive influence of popular but usually socially degrading and often non-indigenous sub-cultures and norms. Another disturbing trend is the effectiveness of criminal and socially deviant forces and agents in filling the gap created by the declining influence of the bastions of social order and civic responsibility.

Faced with such challenges Governments, development agencies and non-governmental organizations have responded in various forms ranging from strategic to sporadic/ad-hoc programmes and initiatives. Some of these programmes and initiatives include:

• In some jurisdictions the adoption and implementation of National Youth Policies.
• A plethora of Youth enterprise schemes.
• Diverse models and concepts of youth employment programmes.
• Adoption of varied youth participation and empowerment models.
• Commemoration of youth weeks and months.
• School based initiatives to stem violent and socially deviant behavior among students.
• Faith based initiatives.
• Increased expenditure in law enforcement and penal services.
• Increased investment in sporting infrastructure.
• A plethora of HIV/AIDS awareness programmes.

At the micro level there have been some success stories however from a macro perspective the impact and relevance of the prevailing youth development strategies remains a subject of much speculation and debate. Some jurisdictions have crafted and adopted various evaluation tools and mechanisms to quantify the impact of youth development programmes but in the main these are non-existent. Consequently the prevailing youth development strategy framework may very well be overpopulated with ‘feel good’ programmes and projects which have little or no profound impact.

In the meantime there is growing panic among the citizenry regarding the negative manifestations of youth socialization and development. Indeed many commentators will argue that the Caribbean region face a virtual crisis. Such concerns and opinions have dominated the various ‘talk shows’ and other popular mediums. Consequently Governments are under increasing pressure to formulate and adopt more effective youth development strategies to arrest the rut.

The Way Forward

Given the current scenario the following strategies should be given due consideration.

• Youth Ministries and departments have in the main not shed their social -- welfarist posture and it is therefore imperative to engage in a process of re-positioning these agencies to become more proactive in their approach. Timeliness, relevance and efficient service delivery should become the underlying principles of operation.
• The feel good rather than evidenced based approach to Youth development is prevalent. Consequently there is an urgent need to develop and enhance the research capacity of Ministries, departments and youth development agencies.
• There is also a dearth of credible research on emerging trends of youth socialization and behavior. It is therefore imperative to cultivate a regional research culture on issues related to youth development and youth in development. This will facilitate the documentation and presentation of credible data and analyses which should serve to enhance the policy formulation environment.
• Traditional tools of intervention have proven ineffective so it is necessary to develop, adopt and implement new and more effective tools of intervention. Here the use of popular education and communication techniques should be given prominence.
• There is also an urgent need to adopt effective evaluation tools and mechanisms to assess and quantify the impact and relevance of adopted programmes and initiatives.
• There is little evidence that the various youth entrepreneurship and employment programmes as they are presently configured will achieve any sustainable and profound impact on youth unemployment and satisfy youth desires for economic and social justice. Hence it is imperative that a more comprehensive and better coordinated approach be adopted in the execution of these initiatives. Such programmes must of necessity respond to changing global economic arrangements while at the same time providing opportunities to progress from micro to medium and full fledged enterprises and industries. It is also extremely important to explore and exploit the opportunities provided by the rich cultural heritage of these countries.
• Youth networks remain largely ineffective, inefficiently managed and unattractive to significant numbers of youth at risk. This has undermined the ability of these organs to become effective advocates and representatives of young people. Consequently there is an urgent need to engage in a process of capacity building and re-positioning. In this regard opportunities must be provided to youth leaders to acquire new and cutting edge leadership and management skills and competencies.
• Of all its achievements the Caribbean region cannot boast of having a proven track record of forming and sustaining effective alliances and partnerships. Consequently youth leaders and relevant agencies must be provided with opportunities to develop effective conflict resolution, networking and coalition building skills and competencies.
• Despite the regions geographical configuration and relatively underdeveloped status the emerging ICT culture and landscape must not be seen as a disadvantage but rather as an opportunity to advance development. Consequently there is need for a comprehensive policy to expedite the access to ICT for expanding educational opportunities, creation of new business opportunities and increase space for advocacy and information exchange.

In essence there is need for a new youth development architecture and paradigm shift in approach.

Conclusion

The proposals and ideas contained herein in no way represent a panacea for all the challenges and problems confronting youth development initiatives within the Caribbean region. However the assumption and expectation is that it will provide the launching pad for a comprehensive re-examination and re-positioning of regional youth development agencies as major partners in sustainable youth development.

Let all ideas contend.