EDITORIAL - Make youth the priority

Just when it looked as if the current generation was doomed to a life of truancy and debauchery, hundreds of young Jamaicans turned up this week for a national conference that aimed to infuse hope in the future by focusing on career development and entrepreneurship.

Governor General Sir Patrick Allen must be very pleased to see that the small seeds he planted in his inaugural speech of 2009 appear to have taken root. And the nation must hope, along with the Governor General, that this 'I Believe' initiative will bear fruit and not suffer the fate of the 'values and attitudes' campaign which never gained traction despite its noble intention and the many efforts to develop it into a national movement.

The fact that these 'I Believe' ambassadors are increasing in numbers is really good for the country, and hopefully, their voices, which signal hope in the future, will resonate with those who appear to be headed along the wrong path by wasting the educational opportunities that have been placed in front of them.

At the conference, the participants heard over and over from presenters about the potential of Jamaica and about the possibilities in the innovation industry. They have been encouraged to embrace the future of this nation by setting their sights high and to seek to take advantage of these opportunities.

The hope is that this conference will have the desired effect on the participants by motivating them to have faith in the future even while recognising that they have an important role to play in energising the nation with their enthusiasm, vision, and innovation.

FUTURE LEADERS

In a few years, the youth of today will be called upon to provide leadership for this country. But if so many of them continue to be involved in violent confrontations, to engage in sexual activity, with the result being teenage pregnancy, absenteeism from school, and lack of interest in education, they will not be able to develop the potential for leadership and personal success to ensure they can adequately provide for their own families.

The 'I Believe' campaign offers hope for the future, and the entire country should embrace it. For this campaign to work, though, the Government needs to be more than a spectator in the pavilion. Youth must be made a priority. Government has a critical role to empower families and to enhance the quality of life in all communities by at least ensuring the proper infrastructure, which would allow more of our youth to grow up living a life of dignity and confidence.

Let us make this a national project in the truest sense. The programme requires mentors, and there are many people in society who are equipped to provide this kind of support and should make themselves available. A successful campaign will redound to the country's benefit because, in these harsh economic times, young people can become really cynical if they see and feel no hope.

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