JAMAICA

Encourage youth to be caring

THE MONTH of May has once more ushered in the periodic spotlight which is to be shone on the plight of our nation's most vulnerable citizens, our young. Indeed, the various challenges which ordinary Jamaican families encounter daily are in no way removed from the children within our communities. They are not spared the hardships of life on this land we so love. ironically, they are the ones to whom the worst of our nature is often meted out. Thankfully, the plight of our distressed youth is not lost on many within the public and private spheres. The heart-rending cries which emanate daily from the community of the young does not fall solely on deaf ears; it is heard by many well-thinking Jamaicans who endeavour to engineer some change.

Finding a solution

The challenges and difficulties are well documented, the issues are home-grown and, as such, the solutions must start with us. It is with this in mind that we attempt to care for our young, and we urge them to care for each other as well. We must sincerely urge our young boys to look out for our young girls, and our girls to look out for our boys.

Nobody understands what it means to be young as well as the young do. While as caring adults we sincerely seek to do justice by the nation's youth, we must bear in mind that policies and projects concerning the young must never be crafted and/or implemented without first consulting them. Their views on problems affecting them and the possible solutions are essential to the process.

Noel Forbes Matherson
3 May 2012

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120503/letters/letters3.html

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