President of Barbados Youth Development Council, Caleb Brathwaite.
Happy Independence Day!
On this 58th Independence Day, and in Barbados Youth Development Council’s 55th Anniversary Year of establishment, celebrating under the theme of “Creating Bonds, Strengthening Communities,” I urge all Bajans to empower young people so that we can be our best.
Since Independence, organizations such as the Barbados Youth Development Council, our National Youth Council, and the umbrella organisation for all youth organizations, have been the bedrock of modern Barbados and have built foundations unshaken for many Barbadians. However, active youth organizations are dwindling, which significantly impacts the ever-present need for community youth development.
On this Independence Day, I ask Barbados to rekindle certain aspects of our past to secure our future. We must rekindle populating youth organizations, rekindle supporting youth organizations financially and technically, rekindle becoming active citizens once again, and rekindle the mindset that it takes a village to raise a child, among other things.
This year, we have lost many young souls to violence, with many of their lights not being able to shine brightly. I take this time to mourn the departed and call for an all-society approach to wrestle violence to the ground.
Time and time again, light has been shed on the negatives some young people engage in, negating the fact that the positives do outweigh the negatives, and many young people are doing great things. Barbados, we must continue to highlight our young paralympic swimmer Antwahn Boyce-Vaughan, our Squash Team who won the regional title, our U-14 Boys Regional Football Champions, and our 11-year-old entrepreneur Jessie Olton with his successful business. I call for all Bajans to highlight young people’s positive contributions to society, which should serve as fuel for inspiring a new generation.
Finally, on this Independence Day, I ask all young people not to let history’s page dictate our future. We shall write a new chapter, one which will be the brightest the world has ever seen. Let us seek to rise above all challenges and defy the odds. Let us be the best we can be, make ourselves proud, and do credit to our nation. I leave you with the words found in our national anthem which should serve as our mantra: “…Upward and onward we shall go, Inspired, exulting, free, and greater will our nation grow, in strength and unity.”
Yours in Youth Development,
Mr. Caleb Brathwaite, AA, LL.B
President
(PR)