Youth leader: Meeting with Newby was cordial

A meeting held yesterday between parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, Senator Warren Newby, and several youth leaders has been described as cordial by one of its attendants.

The youth leader, who requested anonymity, said that the atmosphere in the meeting was relaxed, as Newby and about 25 youth leaders discussed issues that the latter had raised at a Gleaner Editors' Forum last week.

The criticism had come from leaders of National Youth Council, National Youth Parliament, University of the West Indies Guild of Students, National Youth Parliamentary Watch Committee and the Portmore Youth Council.

"During the time I was there, the conversation on both sides was receptive, it was not abrasive at all," he said.

The youth leader said that the focus of the meeting was budgetary allocations for youth programmes.

"We spoke about budgetary constraints for the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture as well as the National Centre of Youth Development. There were discussions for them to include us in the budgetary process," he said.

He said that there was discussion around greater consultation of the youth leaders in prioritising issues affecting Jamaica's youth.

The media, however, was not allowed access to the meeting.

The Gleaner also learnt that yesterday's meeting was a precursory one to another which would be held with Grange next week.

The meeting yesterday was arranged following a call by national youth leaders for the reassignment of the youth portfolio from the Olivia Grange-led ministry to the Ministry of Education.

The youth leaders criticised what they said was poor leadership and neglect from the ministry. They also levelled criticism at Grange's handling of the youth portfolio, saying they were unimpressed with her management of youth matters.