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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Turks & Caicos Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands - A revision of TCI’s National Youth Policy and Strategic Plan was launched this week as the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth Affairs puts renewed focus on youth development in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Department of Youth Affairs, working with the Commonwealth Youth Programme launched the review with a workshop session on Grand Turk on Tuesday November 15th Facilitator Mrs. Emmaline Pierre in explaining the importance of the process noted: “ The sustainable development of the Turks and Caicos Islands involves every sector of the community. Youth development is too important to be taken lightly, youth are valuable to the future of any country, and if we are planning for the development of our nation our youth should be the center of that development. We should improve documents such as these as we continually work on improving TCI.” The existing National Youth Policy was developed in 2006 but was never fully implemented. The Policy’s main objectives were:
1. To harness and channel the energies of youth into the process of nation-building; 2. To promote a spirit of entrepreneurship among young people. 3. To build harmonious relations between Turks and Caicos Islands’ youth and develop a more caring society in the process. 4. To create an environment which will promote confidence in the TCI culture, thus equipping the youth to deal more effectively with negative influences. 5. To re-direct the lives of young people who manifest negative attitudes and dysfunctional social, emotional and behavioural trends. The current Strategic Plan has three priority areas of focus: 1. Youth Business Development 2. Youth Participation and Representation, and 3. Youth Health and Well-being The Ministry says the two documents have been useful tools for development of TCI youths and the review is critical to ensuring continued progress. The review process will include other engagements with stakeholders on policy and plans for youth development, from which the Ministry expects recommendations for enhanced outcomes for young people through increased youth participation and stakeholder partnerships. Director of the Department of Youth Affairs, Angela Musgrove noted that:“Reviewing and revising the TCI National Youth Policy document and Strategic Plan document is essential to progressing the youth development agenda in the islands. It will not only ensure that a modern framework exists for youth within the TCI but will also assist in empowering youth within the islands to contribute to sustainable national development as they seek to be agents of change in these beautiful by nature islands.”
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