PRESS RELEASE (Oct. 16, 2020) — “Igniting the Flame Today, Building a Youth for a Whole Tomorrow” was the theme chosen by the St. Kitts National Youth Parliament Association (SKNYPA) for the first-of-its-kind Inaugural Youth Forum.
The Youth Forum which was chaired by Ms. Azuree Liburd and Mr. Hasani McDonald, members of SKNYPA, saw the format of a panel discussion on topics surrounding the theme which encapsulated a number of areas including Education, Sports, Creatives, Civic Responsibility, Spiritual Advancement, and Entrepreneurship.
Ms. Roleece Brookes, who presented on the topic Education, said in her remarks that “Education is the passport” and that it should be seen as a resource. She said that it is an asset one can use to function effectively and creatively. The university graduate who is the founding President of Impact, a non-governmental organization, and a Certified Policy Officer in European and International Organizations further stated that education “is the ultimate tool of empowerment and advancement.”
One of the founding members of SKNYPA the Hon. Dr. Geoffrey Hanley in his presentation about Civic Responsibility, admonished the young people in attendance to be “committed to what is right and lawful” adding that one should always stand for principle and that citizens and residents should know what laws govern the land. The parliamentarian further stated that civic responsibility is about staying informed of the issues affecting communities.
Presenting on the topic Sports was Mr. Delwayne Delaney, President of SKN Athletics Club, who used the opportunity to encourage the listening audience to persevere regardless of the obstacles that may come their way adding that “Everyone’s path is different.”
Pastor Lincoln Connor of the Antioch Baptist Church presented on the topic Spiritual Advancement and firmly averred that “your identity is shaped not by society, but it is shaped by understanding the values of your creation.”
The Youth Forum which was geared towards encouraging young people within St. Kitts and Nevis, and the wider Caribbean region in a number of areas with the aim being holistic development also saw a presentation being made by Ms. Desi Brown, Creative Enterprise Entrepreneur, who spoke on the topic of Creative Industry. Ms. Brown, who majored in International Relations, in her remarks, said “art has played an important role in helping to fight against intolerance of different cultures, racism, and forms of unjust societal segregation”.
Jonathan Brown who was also one of the panelists who weighed in on the topic of Entrepreneurship said: “it’s not the skill, it’s the attitude.”The Inaugural Youth Forum comes on the heels of the 19th Anniversary of the St. Kitts National Youth Parliament Association. The forum saw in attendance young people representing a number of institutions across the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis and was held at the Caribbean Confederation Credit Unions Conference Center.
For the full youth forum, visit the Facebook page of the St. Kitts National Youth Parliament Association at https://www.facebook.com/sknypassociation/videos/1292743777729114/?vh=e&extid=0&d=n
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