The CARICOM Commission on Youth Development was tasked by CARICOM Heads
of Government in 2006 to develop a draft report on the challenges and opportunities
for youth in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy. The assessments were done
with 6 thousand CARICOM citizens from 12 countries including Belize. The draft
report was presented today, in the morning, to youths and the general public
and in the afternoon to policy-makers. We spoke to two of those policy makers
– Ministers of Education and Sports Patrick Faber and Elvin Penner.
Jules Vasquez,
“Is this a bit too much for a government that is just trying to keep its
head above water?”
Hon. Elvin Penner, Minister of Sports
“Cabinet has already indicated and has already promised that the finance
should not be our more difficult task. Like I mentioned before in most of our
interviews, yes we are experiencing difficulties, yes our regions is under serious
stress right now including financially but I would never make that an excuse
for not doing and implementing programs that can really change the trend of
our young people.”
Jules Vasquez,
“This government with the present constraints, superbond issues and all 
those other issues, economic recession, the shrinking GDP, is it able to seriously
say we are going to invest in youth?”
Hon. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education
“Well it is one of those situations where I don’t think it is
an option. We have to start looking very seriously at it. As is being pointed
out in there, it is a serious priority for the entire region. When you look
at the statistics for instance and you see that 60% of the population of the
region are made up of this bracket of young people and the statistics I think
are even worse here in Belize in terms of the percentage of the people who are
considered to be young, 75% or so, I am understanding 34 years and under, it
becomes imperative that a government finds the kind of funds to create opportunities
for young people.”
Jules Vasquez,
“It seems from the outside that it is not to say, ‘well I will give
you a job’ matter fix, it is a series of structural problems.”
Hon. Elvin Penner,
“I believe that a session like today and a session like this morning
with the actual youths of Belize will assist us and I think as Ministers, we
as a government, we as a department, Youth for the Future in this case, need
to be very much open minded, need to be willing and able to accept suggestions.”
Jules Vasquez,
“Are you all able to differentiate, do we have the strategies, do we have
the research, do we have the analysis to differentiate between where investing
in a problem differs from throwing money at a problem?”
Hon. Patrick Faber,
“But yes. The fact that we have decided to put monies into these programs
sends the signal that it is not a quick fix, it is not something that you can
just throw money after and expect it will happen overnight. It is something
that will have to come after months even years of planning and of training the
minds of our young Belizeans.”
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