State Minister, Hon. Floyd Green – A Staunch Youth Advocate

Currently the youngest Minister and a staunch advocate for youth, 34-year-old State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, strongly believes that more young people should get involved in the country’s affairs to help to steer the nation on a path of prosperity.

“I think that if more young people step forward and work, not just through talk but through action, to show that we can have a different kind of politics, it will augur well for Jamaica; and we will really stick to what we want to do, which is to create a better Jamaica and to move the country from people who are living in poverty to a State of prosperity,” he said.

He was speaking to journalists after being sworn in to office during a ceremony at King’s House on March 7.

Mr. Green is one of four State Ministers appointed under the newly formed Government of Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness.

He is of the view that the Prime Minister has done “a very good job” with the challenging task of crafting a Cabinet with the right mix of youth and experience.

“I think we have some very experienced (persons), we have some who have served before, and then we have new people. We have people like (Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister) Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, myself, (State Minister for National Security) Senator the Hon. Pearnel Charles Jnr.; (State Minister for Finance and the Public Service) Hon.  Fayval Williams is also a first-timer. So I think he has done a good job in getting that mix,” he said.

Mr. Green emphasised, however, that the Government will now have to ensure that this mix “plays out in actuality, (and) that you see new ideas.”

“Our 10-point plan in bringing new ideas to the fore…(such as) legislative changes, (and) holding our politicians more accountable. I think people want to see that, and young people want to see that the Administration is not just talk.

“They want to see that we will do what we say. So at the end of the day, I think that is the phase now, it is time to get to work so that people can see a difference in politics and in how we govern,” he said.

Meanwhile, the former President of the governing Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) youth arm, Generation 2000 (G2K), said he is humbled by his appointment and is looking forward to executing the programmes of the Education, Youth and Information Ministry and, by extension, the Government.

“I think it is a brilliant opportunity to serve at a higher level,” the Member of Parliament for South West St. Elizabeth quipped.

In a Facebook message posted several hours after his swearing-in, Mr. Green thanked all who believed in him and supported him.

“I thank the PM @andrewholnessjm for placing confidence in me to work with Senator (the Hon.) Ruel Reid in driving the true engine of growth – Education, ensuring that we are empowering and engaging our youth and sharing information in a spirit of transparency and accountability. We need all hands on deck ‪#‎jointhemovement ‪#‎fixJamaica ‪#‎betterJamaica,” the post read.

A youth leader from his early years, Mr. Green, who is also an attorney-at-law, demonstrated and honed his leadership abilities while at Munro College.  He served as a prefect, President of the Science Club, a member of the Student Council, and was involved in a number of other clubs and societies.

He was awarded the Most Involved Senior Student in addition to receiving subject prizes for CXC and A’ Level History.

Mr. Green went on to the University of West Indies (UWI), Mona, where he attained a degree in History with a minor in Political Science. There, he served as Vice President (2003/04) and Cultural and Entertainment Affairs Chairman (2002/03) of the Guild of Students, and as the Cultural and Entertainment Affairs Chairman (2001/02) and Acting Hall Chairman (2001/02) for Chancellor Hall.

He continued his impressive record of service and leadership while undertaking his studies in law at UWI’s Cave Hill campus in Barbados. He was elected as the President of the Cave Hill Guild of Students for academic year 2005/06 and also sat on various committees, including the University Finance and General Planning Committee and the Barbados Local Organising Committee of Cricket World Cup.

Mr. Green also represented the University and the nation as a UWI student ambassador to the University of Costa Rica and to the University of Virgin Island Future Global Leaders Institute, where he was named valedictorian.

The State Minister also spearheaded a number on initiatives on both the Cave Hill and Mona campuses including being founding member of the Vice Chancellor’s Student Ambassadors Corps, which has as part of its mission, furtherance of the Caribbean integration process.

In recognition of his stellar performance in service and leadership, Mr. Green copped numerous awards including the UWI-Mona Premier Student Award for Service, the Guild of Students – Cave Hill and Mona Award for Outstanding Leadership.

Additionally, he received the Joseph S. Archibald, Q.C. Prize in Alternative Dispute Resolution, from the UWI-Cave Hill, and the Kingsley Cooper Bursary for Intellectual Property.