Giving Youth A Voice
On 10 December 2008, the first National Youth Peace Summit (NYPS) was held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre in Barbados where 39 secondary students from 14 secondary schools in Barbados, represented their peers, expressed views and provided recommendations to address crime and violence in schools and communities in Barbados. The NYPS, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Barbados and the OECS Sub-Regional Office, the International Foundation of Peace and Poverty Eradication (IFPPE) in collaboration with the National Task Force on Crime Prevention (NTFCP), and was held under the theme “Safer Schools – Safer Communities”. The Summit was the first forum in Barbados where students, counselors, teachers from a cross-section of secondary schools as well as an NGO representative from Youth Crime Watch of Jamaica, the Government of Barbados and the UN System met and addressed sensitive issues linked to increases of violence in Barbados and the Caribbean Region.
Peace Ambassadors were the focal points for this event. The Peace Ambassadors programme was created by social activist Adisa “Aja” Andwele, who is also UNDP Spokesperson for Peace and Poverty Eradication, was the coordinator and organizer of this first NYPS.
Caribbean youth are now facing with the same social and critical development issues affecting youth globally. UNDP is promoting active youth civic engagement as a critical programme component to tackle the root causes of discord and violence. The Peace Ambassadors programme is seen as a practical platform and it is hoped the NYPS forum will jumpstart action and provide a unique opportunity for the youth to become advocates, stand up and make a difference in their schools and communities. The event also provided a learning experience through the presentations, speeches, the Public Service Announcements from UNIFEM, UNDP and the NTFCP. However, the presentation by Mr. Richard Carter on his 2005 Study “Violence in Secondary Schools” set the tone and context for interesting and thought-provoking discussions which made the Summit come alive. Some of the key findings of this study are as follows:
• In response to the statistic that 14% of students surveyed actively disliked school, it was recommended that a programme be instituted to determine and reduce felt alienation among students in school.
• With respect to the 45% of students who were not a member of any group or organisation, it was recommended that membership in organisations and programmes be increased. This was considered to be important due to the fact that membership in organisations is known to help students cope with challenging situations.
• The survey revealed that 27% of students who did not feel safe at school cited as their reasons lack of fencing and lack of security around the school. It was recommended that fencing and or security guards be used to develop and preserve the physical integrity of the school compound.
• Results demonstrated that 29.5% of students cited inconsistency as the reason for their opinion that students' problems were not dealt with properly. Specifically, they perceived that modes of discipline used by members of staff were not consistently and fairly applied to all students. It was therefore recommended that consistency in disciplinary policies in school should be developed.
• As 14% of students had experienced violence at home, in the community and also at school, it was recommended that a programme be developed to identify and respond to students who experience violence in their personal lives.
• Because 38% of students felt that teachers cared little or not at all about their problems, it was recommended that a programme be instituted to create and build a caring and supportive environment in schools, or to convince students if that environment already exists.
• More than 80% of students have seen weapons, more than 50% have seen drugs, and 60% report at least weekly fights: statistics which point to the level of vigilance and supervision in schools and lead to a recommendation for a greater and more consistent level of supervision of students.
• More than 60% of those who were involved in fights indicated that they could have dealt the conflict by reasoning or negotiating with their adversary. As a result, it was recommended that students be provided with opportunities to learn conflict resolution and negotiation skills.
• For the 21.3% of students who carry a weapon to school and the 30% who say it is easy to get drugs at school, it was recommended that the provision in the Education Act for principals to have the power to search students be actively implemented.
• In view of research both in the survey and elsewhere that the first usage of drugs happens on average at age thirteen, and as the factors leading to abuse and experimentation were complex, creative early intervention strategies for substance abuse prevention among youth were recommended.
Central to the day’s consultation were the student responses and expressions of hope, interest and empowerment as demonstrated by all of the student participants, who genuinely want to be a part of the solutions and programmes developed for Barbados and the Caribbean. The NYPS also explored urgent global development issues that are relevant to the agenda for Barbados and the Caribbean. These include restoring peace, human security and leadership and maintaining the high levels of human development.
UNDP supports youth empowerment as a gateway to creating intergenerational equity, civic engagement and strengthened youth-led participatory media, activism, citizen and community involvement and decision-making. UNDP Barbados, IFPPE and NTFCP look forward to fostering, developing and supporting new and existing youth initiatives in collaboration with the Governments of Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean. UNDP will explore the NYPS recommendations that shape the creative power and drive of young Barbadians and Caribbean Youth. By extension, UNDP through its global programming base sees this programme and linked intervention supporting an inclusive, sustainable world for youth populations, the young at heart and future generations. The UNDP Barbados office extends its appreciation to all who participated and made the NYPS a huge success.
In the words of Deborah Reber, author of - In Their Shoes: Extraordinary Women Describe Their Amazing Careers
“Empowering Youth . . . gives even the most seasoned youth advocacy worker a solid dose of inspiration, and reminds readers of the true value of youth participation in creating positive social change.”
