Young People Will be Equipped to Make Social Transformation – Senator Newby

Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports (MICYS), Senator Warren Newby, has assured that the Government will do everything within its power to enable young people to make positive choices.
“No effort or money will be spared to empower you, the next generation of leaders. No effort or money will be spared because we have to make a change now,” the Senator asserted, while addressing secondary school students at the opening of the National Secondary Students’ Council (NSSC) Capacity Building Workshop at the Students’ Union, University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona.
“We want to equip you with the critical skill-sets and knowledge base, that you can make appropriate, relevant and positive decisions in the interest of your country,” he added.
These objectives are in sync with the overall goal of the NSSC Capacity Building Workshop which is being spearheaded by the Ministry’s youth arm, the National Centre for Youth Development (NCYD).
The nine-day workshop which runs from July 23 to 31 is geared towards empowering students with the requisite skills and knowledge to become leaders in their schools, as well as create positive reinforcements for national youth development.
The students will participate in intense practical training sessions involving behaviour change and modification, leadership and advocacy, conflict resolution and violence prevention, healthy lifestyles, and other self development and empowerment concepts.
“We know you want better for Jamaica, we know that you have examined where the flaws and faults are and we know that you have the voice, energy, intellect and muscle that is necessary for the transformation,” Senator Newby stressed to the more than 150 students representing some 70 public secondary institutions across the island.
At the end of the workshop the NSSC and the NCYD will have constructed a strategic behaviour modification plan to guide their peers in reducing the high incidences of violence, sexual activities, and other anti-social behaviour in schools.
Relating to the role of youths in leadership and governance, Senator Newby reinforced the commitment of his Ministry to continue to support the NSSC and implored non-participating schools to come on board, as they are in breach of the Education Act.
“The NSSC provides a vehicle through which we can engage our youth in participating in the whole matter of governance and we want to encourage it, we want to work assiduously to provide the support services to ensure that it grows from strength to strength,” the Senator noted.
The annual NSSC Capacity Building Workshop was first hosted in 2003 when the NCYD sought to provide support for students to effectively conceptualize and implement an annual work plan for their peers, which is student led and reflective of student needs.