By Jason Allen

Youth empowerment is an aspect in society that is most important in terms of the proper development of a new generation. When youth feel as if they are not a part of something or do not have a sense of purpose, they look to channel their energies in most often negative ways. Believe it or not, this was my first trip to the teacher’s resource centre and right from the beginning, I was quite impressed with the professionalism and sense of warmth given by the participants and organizers of the Anguilla National Youth Council Youth Leadership Meeting. The Anguilla National Youth Council’s motto is “Moulding Youth for the Future” and this can be found on their emblem that consists of a turtle dove superimposed on a map of Anguilla.

L-R, Sherrianne Roberts, Keria Hughes, Olufunmike Banks-Devonish, Patriese Richards. Back , Eduardo Samuels

The major theme of this meeting of youth leaders that was held on March 20 at 6pm was to attempt to revive an organization whose goal is to provide a voice for young people, promote youth development, and act as an umbrella for the various youth groups in Anguilla. The Council asks that all involved give a high level of commitment and participation and be no nonsense people so that they can actually lobby for support and change within the youth community. The meeting began with an introduction and salutation by the chairperson, Ms. Anthea Roach. She mentioned that she was pleased to see so many youth in attendance and then proceeded to introduce the members of the National Youth Council steering committee. Ms. Roach then turned the floor over to Ms. Keria Hughes, a well-spoken and confident young woman whose job was to break the ice and get everyone involved in an interactive simulation. Ms. Hughes made everyone feel welcome and did a fantastic job at getting each person in the room involved as well as those who were tardy.

During the interactive activity, young people had to answer three questions: 1. What is one of your pet peeves? 2. An animal or fruit that describes you and why? 3. What is something about yourself that you would want everyone to know? Of course the answers for all three categories were varied, but most young people described themselves as cats in the sense that they are sweet and caring but always aware of their surroundings and ready to attack if threatened. I found it to be a great ice-breaker and a way to bring the group to together but at the same time celebrate individuality. After the participants felt more at ease, Ms. Roach then introduced Mrs. Sonia Skellekie and Ms. Sherri-Ann Roberts to do a presentation on the history of the ANYC.

Mrs. Skellekie proceeded to explain that in the year 2001, through the good governance project designed by the UK to increase civil society participation, there was an attempt to revive the ANYC after a long period of dormancy. It was originally started in 1976 and very little is known about its beginnings. Yet, in 2001 there was an interim committee established to attempt to revive, revamp and re-shape the organization. Also in attendance was Mr. Damien Hughes, who was able to give a very clear and concise history of the 2001 revival. He urged all those present at the meeting that if the ANYC does move forward, they must not allow partisan politics to play a role as this was the major reason of the demise of the organization in the past. Besides partisan politics, in the past there was also a general lack of commitment across the board and both Mr. Hughes and Mrs. Skellekie emphasized the fact that all present in the room need to remain committed for the ANYC to function. Ms. Sherri-Ann Roberts then proceeded to explain that recently, in 2006, The Anguilla National Youth Council Steering Committee was established and it was charged with getting the ANYC to where it is today.

The next presentation, done by Ms. Georgia Matthew, certainly got the attention of the crowd and sparked much debate. Ms. Matthew’s role was to moderate a discussion on issues affecting youth. Before opening the floor, she emphasized that in her opinion, the issues are extensive and merit proper discussion. Throughout the floor, many issues were raised such as teen pregnancy, youth on youth violence and murder, a lack of variety in youth related activities, a lack of structure for youth between school and activities, general laziness among youth in Anguilla, peer pressure, and a lack sustainability and committed involvement by youth in their respective organizations. Moreover, Ms. Matthew posited the question, “What benefits would you like to see out of the youth council?” The responses varied, but the main issues brought up were financial assistance to develop programs, training, and continued education. As the goals of this meeting were to network, share thoughts, and voice opinions, all the youth and presenting panel maintained an active dialogue and discussion for at least one and a half hours.
In conclusion, elections were held to establish an executive committee. This part of the meeting was chaired by Mr. Damien Hughes and the voting process was done by secret ballot. It was decided that the following people would lead the newly re-established ANYC: Sherri-Ann Roberts (President), Keria Hughes (Vice-President), Olufunmike Banks-Devonish (General Secretary), Patriese Richards (Treasurer), Eduardo Samuel (Assistant Secretary Treasurer). As these new leaders move forward, I am sure that Anguillians are ready and willing to assist them in all their endeavours.

| Printer-friendly page | Send this article to a friend |

World News