The National Youth Policy of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas
2014 - 2021
“Engaging, Enabling and Empowering Our Youth”
National Youth Policy Consultative Team 2014 & The Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture, Youth Division
THE NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY of THE BAHAMAS
ACRONYMS
BNYC Bahamas National Youth Council BYPA Bahamas Youth Practitioners Association CARICOM Caribbean Community CYDAP CARICOM Youth Development Action Plan CHOGM Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting CSOs Civil Society Organisations COMSEC Commonwealth Secretariat CYC Commonwealth Youth Council CYEC Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council CYP Commonwealth Youth Programme DOI Department of Immigration DOS Department of Sports DOY Division/Department of Youth DY Director of Youth ILO International Labour Organisation IMCYA Inter-Ministerial Committee on Youth Affairs MOE Ministry responsible for Education MOEH Ministry of Environment of Housing MOFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration MOF Ministry of Finance MOH Ministry of Health MNS Ministry of National Security MOLG Ministry of Local Government MOSSCD Ministry of Social Services and Community Development MOYSC Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture *MOYA Ministry responsible for Youth Affairs NIYD National Institute of Youth Development NYETF National Youth Endowment (Trust) Fund NYC National Youth Commission NGO Non Governmental Organisation NYAC National Youth Ambassadors Corps NYP National Youth Policy NYPT National Youth Policy Team NYSS National Youth Service Scheme OAG Office of The Attorney General (Department of Public Prosecution) OJ Office of The Judiciary OPM Office of The Prime Minister SAP Strategic Action Plan UN United Nations UNCRC United Nations Conventions on the Rights of The Child URCA Utilities Regulation and Competition Authority YDSs Youth Development Stakeholders YP Youth Parliament YPs Youth Parliamentarians
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD
PREFACE
MESSAGE FROM THE NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY TEAM
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
PART 1: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Situation Analysis of The State of Bahamian Youth (2007-2012) 1.3 Approach to Youth Development 1.4 Diversity of Contexts (Island Profiles & Realities of Young People) 1.5 Rationale for The National Youth Policy
PART 2: THE NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY FRAMEWORK 2.1 Mission, Value Statement and Motto 2.2 Definition of Youth 2.3 Official Statement on Youth 2.4 Principles, Strategy and Expected Impact 2.5 Policy Goals and Long-Term Objectives
PART 3: KEY OBJECTIVES AND RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES 3.1 Identification & Self-Awareness 3.1. A Youth & Immigration 3.2 Education, Technology & Capacity Building 3.3 Employment, Social Enterprise & Young Professionals 3.4 Health, Sustainable Livelihoods & the Environment 3.5 Youth in Conflict with the Law, Youth Justice &Safety 3.6 Inclusion in the Decision-Making Process & Youth Empowerment 3.7 Streamlining National Youth Development Goals
PART 4: SUPPORT FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY 4.1 Government Leadership and Accountability 4.2 Cabinet Submission 4.3 Parliamentary Consideration 4.4 Structural, Institutional and Legislative Support for the National Youth Policy 4.5 Financing the National Youth Policy 4.6 Implementation Strategy
PART 5: INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR IMPLEMENTATION 5.1 Stakeholders, Partners and Benefactors of the National Youth Policy 5.2 Implementing Partners 5.3 Role of The Government 5.4 Role of Youth 5.5 Role of Youth Practitioners 5.6 Role of The Research Community
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PART 6: MONITORING, REPORTING AND EVALUATING THE NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY 6.1 The National Institute for Youth Development (NIYD) 6.2 Monitoring and Evaluation 6.3 Mechanisms for Monitoring and Reporting 6.4 External Partners to Assist with Monitoring and Evaluation 6.5 The Development of a Strategic Action Plan (SAP)
PART 7: REFERENCES 7.1 National Youth Policy Organisational Chart 7.2 Targeted Family Islands & Focus Groups 7.3 National Youth Policy Consultative Team Members (2007- Present) 7.4 Sources of Law & International Youth Plans 7.5 International Treaties, Declarations and Communiqués 7.6 References
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Foreword
On October 27th, 2013, just one day after Hurricane Sandy ravaged our islands, over 100 young people from throughout The Bahamas gathered for the 1st Annual National Youth Partnership Summit (NYPS) where a consensus for the Draft National Youth Policy of The Bahamas was achieved. That date is significant, not only as a symbol of our nation’s renewed dedication to youth representation and empowerment, , but also as a marker of the unwavering resolve of our youth,, in spite of life’s greatest storms and challenges, to step up and step out. Further, it demonstrated their willingness to confront our nation’s most pressing issues head on by becoming active agents of change. At the closing ceremony for the NYPS, I noted wholeheartedly that we have some of the best and brightest young people in the world right here in The Bahamas and pledged to continue my efforts as Minister of Youth to cultivate that potential and make certain that future generations are protected by a policy which defines the interest and status of young people. It is my sincere hope that this policy will build a bridge between the old and the young, Family Islands and the city, those fighting for justice and those in need of it. It will aid those seeking health care and those defending our environment, and will empower those launching businesses as well as those in need of jobs. Young people in The Bahamas have made tremendous advances in technology, sports, arts, culture and, most importantly, education; however, we still have a long way to go if we are to build the best possible environment to prioritize youth in the National Development process.
For this, our 40th anniversary as an independent nation, I echo the words of the first Prime Minister of The Bahamas, Sir Lynden Pindling, who stated in his keynote address to the 20th National General Convention of the Progressive Liberal Party on October 28th, 1975 that “any policy consideration of the economic and social development of our nation must be essentially geared to involve young people … young people can and should be seen as powerful agents for national development and social change. And as agents of social changes, they are a most valued national asset.” In order to realise this dream, the National Youth Policy Consultative Team has worked endlessly over the past six (6) years to produce a Draft National Youth Policy. To that end, I would like to thank the current Youth Policy Team who shares my passion to see the policy completed; the Director of Youth, K. Darron Turnquest; Chairman, Tavarrie D. Smith; Andril Aranha; Chanelle Clare, Craig Bain, DeAndra V. Cartwright, Deno Cartwright, Nadia Cash, Marvin Coleby, Ambrosine Huyler, Anastarcia Huyler, Lovy Jean, Jeanette Jean and current and past visionaries of the Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture on whose shoulders we stand to produce this current draft. I wish to also extend my gratitude to the countless young people whom have vetted the policy and to those who would have been involved in the qualitative research over the past six (6) years. Special consideration and acknowledgement must also be paid to Former Director of Youth, Mrs. Autherine Turnquest-Hanna who facilitated the initiation of this process.
Young people, your time is now; this policy is here to secure your place at the table of nation building. I look forward to continuing our work as we begin the next phase of implementation and monitoring. This policy will make certain that young people are given every opportunity to develop themselves and fully realize their untapped potential. It is emblematic of our youth’s overwhelming commitment to positive national development, despite the perception created by daily headlines that seek to highlight their struggles instead of their triumphs.. This policy represents a truly national effort: irrespective of political persuasions, social status or cultural barriers. We all have a responsibility to build a better Bahamas and our young people must become the building tools if we are to achieve that goal. After many years of discussion, debate, consultation and meetings, we are finally at the precipice of implementing a much-needed National Youth Policy for The Bahamas. I therefore invite all Bahamians to join me in uplifting this nation through our youth.
Sincerely, Dr. Daniel Johnson Minister of Youth, Sports & Culture
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Preface
For many years, young people in this country have not been given the attention that has been due to them. The constant statement made by individuals from national agencies, churches, and other youth serving organisations that - “something must be done to help our youth”, has been heard loud and clear. Young people throughout The Commonwealth of The Bahamas now stand to benefit from a groundbreaking initiative within the Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture, specifically the present Division of Youth. The completion of this long awaited initiative, which finally realises the implementation of a National Youth Policy for The Bahamas (NYP), is no longer just an ideal concept or an agenda item. It is designed to be a holistic and comprehensive document that now awaits the approval of the Government. The fundamental point is that in order for ‘something’ to be done, there must be a strategic plan on youth and if there is a plan, it must be protected by a policy.
With this proposed NYP, the challenges that prohibit young people’s involvement in nation building will be minimized by providing them with an enabling environment for empowerment. This NYP will be the instrument that will guide the developmental framework of the ‘ideal Bahamian youth.’ Youth policies are widely recognised throughout the region, and as such, the development of a youth policy serves as a necessary and instrumental step in the building of any nation where young people will become the primary benefactors.
It is clear and uncontested that the dimension of a youth policy is a commitment to include the exceptional contributions of young people to national development. Simultaneously, it addresses their local and national needs beyond the present structures and institutions which often ignore inner-city and marginalised youth. The common goal of this document is to outline the appropriate rights, responsibilities, and privileges entitled to our young people. Young people have an engendering spirit and can no longer be regarded as a homogeneous sub-population. Instead they must be defined, recognised and respected as a diverse group with different perceptions, attitudes and socio-economic statuses, who, in all their different ways, have and continue to demonstrate outstanding character, commendable leadership abilities, and a true sense of community.
Therefore, it is timely that we pause and consider the historic importance and significance of a NYP as a means to improving the quality of life and participation of our young people, taking into consideration the wide range of political, social, economic and cultural issues impacting them. This policy was achieved through national consultation with key stakeholders in youth development and grounded in optimal participation of youth throughout the length and breadth of The Bahamas. Having celebrated 40 years of independence in this peaceful and democratic nation of ours, it is our sincerest intent that this policy will produce measurable goals in helping young people to flourish as we improve the promotion and protection of youth rights. It is my intention, as Director of Youth, that all of our programmes, services and training initiatives provide equal access and opportunities for all youth.
K. Darron Turnquest, Director of Youth, Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture
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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY CONSULATIVE TEAM
For the past six (6) years, we have been examining how youth respond to the challenges impacting them and to what extent we can eliminate those challenges that prevent young people from realising their best potential. Often, when people ask about the state of youth in The Bahamas, our answers are met with shock as they voice their disbelief at the challenges we have discovered and question how so many young people are still marginalized in the modern Bahamas. This revelation is often followed by a deafening silence that fills the room as they begin to process the unique challenges we face as a country with respect to youth development. We all know how talented and gifted our young people are and how enriched our country could be if we simply created the enabling environments for their empowerment.. Yet, we have failed to provide a national framework that involves young people at all levels of decision-making.
As we commenced writing this Policy, we chose to meet with young people throughout The Bahamas, travelling to as many Islands as our budget allowed, hosting forums, focus-groups and conclaves, soliciting reports from youth leaders and undertaking a variety of evaluations. Those meetings, where young people shared the joys and struggles of their daily lives, have been a time of enlightenment for the Policy Team. There were times we were left speechless, times we shed and shared tears, times when our stomachs were knotted and times when we worried about the safety and security of the young people we left behind. We wish to applaud the young people for their bravery and honesty as they held nothing back from us. We acknowledge the pain of feeling unappreciated and insignificant that many of them shared with us. To the numerous young people in difficult situations, we hope that this policy will support you in every way possible and that you are encouraged to pursue your dreams and hold us accountable as youth leaders for our conduct and decisions towards you. It is on this premise that we can finally say to the youth of this nation, “After years of sweat and tears, we have kept our promise: Young people of The Bahamas, Here is your Policy”.
We are optimistic that many more individuals will listen and understand that sustainable youth development is an intensive labour of love. Although at times it can be extremely demanding, it is all the more rewarding when one can see the positive impact it has on the lives of the young people who will someday lead this country. To this end, we wish to thank the thousands of youth workers hailing from Grand Bahama in the North all the way to Inagua in the South, for being the “true unsung heroes” of this nation. Moving towards sustainable youth development for The Bahamas will be both a challenge and an opportunity for us. Therefore, we invite you all to give of yourselves, your time, your abilities and your resources, for the benefit of the youth of our nation. We close by sharing a special and personal thank you to Mr. Andreas Kristen and his fantastic colleagues at YouthPolicy.org and the 2013 National Youth Parliamentarians for surviving this journey with us.
Attorney Tavarrie D. Smith Chairman, National Youth Policy Consultative Team 2014
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This National Youth Policy 2014 – 2021 is the first four year policy that has been formulated for the Youth of The Bahamas.
Discussions for a National Youth Policy for The Bahamas began during the early 90’s when the Division of Youth realised that programmes and efforts by various youth workers were being duplicated without a coordinated approach to addressing the challenges facing young people in The Bahamas. This Policy is the realisation of six years of research, enquiries and drafting, with a focus on: (A) Youth- Influenced Problem Statements, (B) Youth-Identified Target Areas, and (C) Youth-Led Recommendations. The Policy also recognises a common goal to create a sustainable path to youth development work through the enhancement of youth programmes and services that are guided by a streamlined and formal youth agenda approved by The Government of The Bahamas.
The developmental process for the Policy was a rigorous and extensive undertaking that targeted young people from various sectors of the community. After engaging relevant stakeholders such as youth workers, youth service providers, youth organisations, civil society, government agencies, and the broader public through town meetings, the National Youth Policy Team identified the strategies necessary to create a sustainable path to youth development. As a result of thorough preparation and research, countless youth forums conducted throughout The Bahamas and interviews with thousands of young people aged 15 - 30, a youth-vetted and youth-approved draft NYP was presented to the Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Hon. Dr. Daniel Johnson on October 27, 2012.
Our young people identified a number of social and economic challenges as the most critical issues affecting them. It is from these and a myriad of other issues, including those which were presented in the 1994 National Youth Consultative Committee Report, that the National Youth Policy Team arrived at seven (7) key objectives on which the Policy should focus.. Each objective is accompanied by a problem statement and a list of recommendations from which the Ministry of Youth is to design specific programmes and responses through its Strategic Action Plan. The seven (7) key policy objectives are:
1. Identification and Self-Awareness; 2. Education, Technology and Capacity Building; 3. Employment, Social Enterprise and Young Professionals; 4. Health, Sustainable Livelihoods and the Environment; 5. Youth in Conflict with the Law, Youth Justice and Safety; 6. Inclusion in the Decision-Making Process and Youth Empowerment; and 7. Streamlining National Youth Development Goals.
In addition to these six objectives, the Policy also identifies an overall objective to streamline national youth development goals. The Policy aims to foster an engaging and enabling environment for young people by ensuring that they reach their fullest potential. Also, the Policy seeks to specifically define a national vision and a common workspace for youth development, articulate the roles and responsibilities of young people and youth workers, and provide guarantees for their personal and national development as model citizens.
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PART 1: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
1.1 Introduction
The purpose of this document is to provide a common and mutual understanding of the importance of youth development among all stakeholders and individuals in The Bahamas and to set guidelines for the delivery of services and programmes related to their development through a cross-sectoral and integrated approach. Further, this document is to serve as the national framework, approved by the Government of The Bahamas, for sustainable youth development across the length and breadth of these islands.
It also seeks to ensure sufficient investment by the government and other national stakeholders on issues impacting youth through the provision of resources, skilled labour, and facilities. This document recognises the need for the government and other stakeholders to collaborate in achieving a long-term, comprehensive approach that is well-organised, coherent, meaningful, and resourceful in its aim to mobilize the community in addressing national youth issues.
The discussion for a national youth policy for The Bahamas has been ongoing for more than two decades and was subjected to numerous highs and lows based on the forces at play at various levels (global, regional, national and political) of government. However, the success of this NYP Team in producing this document not only overcame those challenges, but did so at a time that is opportune for the government to implement this policy: developing nations are increasingly starting to realise that in order to achieve a sustainable economy, human development must be a key element of economic and social reform.
The reality is that none of the policy goals can be reached without the structural support, institutional capacities, resources implementation, and periodic evaluations necessary to deliver the recommended strategies and monitor their impact. As 58.4% of the national population is comprised of young people under the age of 35 years, their participation in the governance and development of society has been so minimal that one can easily surmise that The Bahamas’ national development is being negatively affected by the virtual absence of one of our most precious and abundant national assets – youth.
Any meaningful youth initiative must take into account that more than half of the population is below the age of 35 years old. Such a realization will go a long way in coordinating a national effort to eliminate the obstacles to youth development within The Bahamas. The reality is that the development of strategies that positively affect the socio-economic status of young people is geared towards aiding a majority population within The Bahamas.
The realisation that young people represent such a large percentage of the population while their development continues to be severely obstructed is often difficult to substantiate as a result of the lack of youth-specific data to inform policy makers. Further, the absence of monitoring and evaluation schemes that properly measure the impact of existing programmes, undermines youth development efforts. Such data deficiencies have led to the design of chaotic youth strategies that failed to take into account the diversity of youth demographics, individual island profiles, socio-economic statuses, vulnerabilities, and the contributions of the young people themselves for whom these programmes have been designed. Although, the Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture has, in recent times, attempted to integrate youth issues into its divisional portfolio, these efforts are not supported by the necessary frameworks.
This policy, commissioned by the government through its international commitments and supported by the work of the National Youth Policy Team, addresses the major concerns and critical issues faced by youth. It will also regulate the implementation of all youth related programmes and services. In light of this, it is expected that the policy provides direction for the creation of a Strategic Action Plan on youth to complement the roles of all agencies engaged in youth development work so as to ensure that the holistic integration and inclusion of youth is entrenched in all national development plans for The Bahamas.
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1.2 Situation Analysis of The State of Bahamian Youth (2007-2012)
Young people under the age of 35 years comprise 58.4% per cent of the total population of The Bahamas according to the Department of Statistics’ 2010 National Population Census. On average, over 5,000 young people leave high school each year, with few of them entering tertiary education. And while some enter the work force, according to the Department of Statistics (2013 Labour Force Survey), the youth unemployment rate stands at a dismal 34%. This provides an unclear picture for those who finish tertiary education regarding their likelihood to find employment. With the recent economic decline and stagnation, there are simply not enough jobs for youth, resulting in a continuous strain on public services and resources, specifically in areas of health and education.
The education and employment issues confronting Bahamian youth today are highly correlated. For example, employment and tertiary education amongst young people are linked to how much access they have to skills training and the amount of Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) exams they have passed. However, with an average passing grade in the "D" range, the prospect of attaining tertiary education is shadowy for many Bahamian youth and, with limited skill sets, the amount of viable workers entering the work force also decreases.
With employment issues discouraging young people, social issues continue to rise. Crime and violence appear to be devastating this age group, with the numbers of untimely deaths and length of days in hospital on a generally upward climb. Young people have been found to be both the perpetrators, as well as the victims in these cases. According to the Royal Bahamas Police Force Crime Statistics (2012), young men ages 18-35 are responsible for over 80 percent of murders. Commissioner of Police, Ellison Greenslade, commented that “young men who were habitual users of drugs and alcohol, were the perpetrators of most of last year's crimes”.
Bahamian youth deal with a prevalence of violence that threatens their safety and wellbeing, disrupting their ability to concentrate in school and at home. The study done by National Anti-Drug Secretariat of the Ministry of National Security (2012) reported that an alarming 21.4% of secondary students were physically attacked one or more times within the past year, which differs from the 40.4% of students who were in a physical fight one or more times within the past year. These acts of physical violence, including bullying and physical assault were also included in the report. With the prevalence of violence on and off campus, it’s accordingly noted that students experience related difficulties, which tend to interrupt the learning process.
A 2011 study done by National Anti-Drug Secretariat of the Ministry of National Security found that alcohol abuse and the accompanying lackadaisical attitude towards it contributes to the declining health of secondary school students. Approximately 70% of students used alcohol over their lifetime, with binge drinking on the rise and females slightly surpassing males in the area of consumption (51.7% of females versus 48.5% of males using in the last 12 months). Along with the prevalent use of marijuana by men, and the attitude that such drugs are only slightly harmful or not harmful at all, The Bahamas is faced with a sector of young people who are fast becoming dependent on escapism to deal with internal matters. Drugs and alcohol are also sometimes the foundation and catalyst of reckless, impulsive and anti-social acts/behaviours against and towards peers and society-at-large.
To add to the dilemma, health preservation and protection among young people seem to have been pushed to the background. Despite the availability of birth control and education on family planning, the rates of STI’s and HIV/AIDS related illnesses, as well as unplanned pregnancies are rising considerably. The HIV/AIDS epidemic and its related illnesses have continued to negatively impact the health of youth, being the number one killer of persons aged 15 - 44 in The Bahamas.
In addition to these pressing issues, Bahamian youth also struggle with the conundrum of creating an identity for themselves from the barrage of cultures and countercultures that now exist in The Bahamas. With the rapid development of technology, youth are overexposed to various cultures that run counter to the very core of the traditionally defined Bahamian identity. Youth strive to emulate a “popular culture”
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Within the population of young people, a group of marginalized youths are emerging that are overcrowding the facilities designed to cater to their needs, i.e. Simpson Penn, Williamae Pratt Center for Girls, SURE, TAPS, as well as the PACE program. These facilities are quickly becoming overpopulated with youth who are considered a “nuisance” to the school system that has adopted a “no tolerance” mindset towards any sort of misbehavior. There are numerous instances of students being put out of schools for minimal offences, without trial or jury, and being told not to return. Due to this, many young people, especially young males, come to associate the school system with negative experiences and rejection
Within this group of marginalized youth lies a population of persons impacted by immigration laws, who grapple with the challenge of defining their identity within Bahamian society. Often these youth consider themselves to be Bahamian, because of being born on Bahamian soil and being culturally adapted to our way of life; however, due to various socio-political reasons, their identity and citizenship within The Bahamas are often delayed or even denied. Some turn to excelling in academics as a means of dealing with this rejection. However, many, whether by choice or through circumstance, do not excel. Instead, they turn to many of the same negative behaviors and cultural tendencies that have been identified amongst marginalized Bahamian youth.
Marginalized and rejected, Bahamian youth seem to feel a sense of hopelessness. According to the Bahamas Secondary School Drug Prevalence Survey, 2012), 22.7% of secondary school students experience serious thoughts of suicide, 15.4% of them make plans for how they will kill themselves, and 10.6% of them admitted to attempting suicide at least once. The males are particularly at risk, considering that they tend to use more lethal methods of killing themselves and are therefore more successful.
Youth in The Bahamas are also sidelined by large segments of the adult population that does not recognize their opinions as valid.. They are often ignored and disregarded until needed to make up the visual populous at rallies or to head a negative news story. The voice of the youth often goes unheard, leading to a slow but steady buildup of frustration, creating a demand for greater youth contributions on a national level.
Despite the plethora of negative statistics, there has not been, nor does there appear to be, any coordinated effort or attempt to centralize youth development. What is even more disheartening is that our youth have been excluded from the designing, planning and implementation of programmes and policies that directly affect them.
There is a need for a comprehensive and holistic National Youth Policy to address these inequalities and to help guide public and private sector investments in all areas that concern youth. The present analysis identifies the various areas that are barriers to the fulfilment of young people’s rights, with special attention given to the vulnerability of young people.
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1.3 Approach to Youth Development
Prior to the existence of a National Youth Policy for The Bahamas, the approach to youth development primarily was guided by recommendations and proposals made to the government from the National Youth Advisory Council. The Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture was then charged with the responsibility for the initiation, development and execution of youth development programmes which were managed by a Director of Youth who served as Head of Department. However, the Department of Youth is not classified as a department, but a division that works with a diverse range of stakeholders including public and private sector partnerships. This approach was often seen as dependent, subject to various political agendas and lacked any collective or collaborative effort.
Investing in youth has not truly been a priority of national development in recent times because of the perception that young people are misguided, irresponsible, and nefarious which has led to a lack of significant investment by policy makers. Where national policy issues are concerned, youth throughout The Bahamas have simply been approached through an ad-hoc, unilateral basis and as appendices to government policies, rather than as an integral partner in national policies. Youth in The Bahamas cite this social gap between the generations as the greatest affliction to their development. Therefore, this policy will guide policy-makers on how to invest in the youth in order to repair national perceptions, increase capacity and instil a sense of pride and allegiance to this Bahamaland.
Through an inter-ministerial, inter-agency, and multi-level approach, young people and their need for a sustainable path to development will be brought to the forefront of The Bahamas’ agenda for national development. Taking cue from other Caribbean and African Youth Policies, as developing counterparts, the government is encouraged to rely on this policy as a guideline to deal with some of the critical issues highlighted in the policy’s objectives. Accordingly, a practice of reciprocity is to be followed when dealing with youth issues, especially since The Bahamas has no previous documented National Youth Policy to incorporate all sectors of society who provide services to our youth. This approach is to be guided by the following:
▪ Developing a comprehensive model of sustainable youth development that harnesses the copious yet disjointed and disintegrated programmes and services offered by various stakeholders;
▪ Aggressive national ‘Education and Youth Awareness’ Campaign that targets policy makers, programme administrators, service providers, parents, and custody institutions to ensure that adults become informed and responsible socialization agents for youth;
▪ Providing problem prevention and problem response services that cover a wide scope of areas where young people are finding hindrances to their development;
▪ Having an asset-based approach that moves youth from being seen as a problem to be solved (“youthism”) and more as an asset to be harnessed;
▪ Expand existing programs for the professionalization of youth work to ensure that they are not only accessible for Bahamian youth practitioners, but that they are designed to enhance the knowledge, skills and capacity of youth practitioners in the areas of at-risk behaviours and opportunity creation for young people;
▪ Expanding, extending and creating cooperative links between researched-based knowledge and the application of this knowledge by the MOYSC so that programmes and services are designed to provide enabling environments for young people at the community level; and
▪ Incorporating youth technical cadet programmes into relevant agencies, organizations and departments to facilitate intellectual/skill exchanges and create succession planning structures to positively mainstream our youth into society.
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1.4 DIVERSITY OF CONTEXTS (ISLAND PROFILES & REALITIES OF YOUNG PEOPLE)
Although The Bahamas is a relatively small island state, it consists of some 700 Islands and 2,400 Cays, making it an archipelago with a landmass of 5,380 square miles and extending 100,000 square miles across the western Atlantic Ocean, just south of Florida, USA. Currently, nineteen (19) of the islands are populated by mostly African descendants. According to the Department Statistics’ 2012 Census, the population is estimated at 371,960, with young people under the age of 29 accounting for 51% of that figure. The Bahamas has a unique history of colonization, slavery, piracy and independence. The geographic fragmentation and small size of The Bahamas often has serious implications for young people, particularly those who live on the Family Islands. There are a number of common themes between the islands, but pre-policy consultations with youth have revealed that each island also has its own unique set of challenges and obstacles to youth development. To this end, the National Youth Policy team saw fit to provide individual island profiles, unfettered, unedited, and uninfluenced, as perceived by the young people in their various islands. They are as follows:
1.4.1. Abaco: Need for better family involvement/interaction, biased/out of touch churches, “Black Crab syndrome”, gangs, illegal immigration, lack of organized activities (e.g. recreational, sporting, Junkanoo), lack of Bahamian-centric education (Bahamian History), lack of discipline among residents, lack of employment training, lack of or insufficient counselling facilities, lack of jobs, lack of proper medical facilities, lack of public transportation, lack of secondary vocational, technical and transitional programmes, low graduation rates, poor housing, negative media and its influences, religion as a business, teenage pregnancy and tension between ‘Bahamians’ and ‘Haitians’.
1.4.2 Acklins: Better border protection needed, competition for commodities and services, disaster relief needed, emergency vehicles needed, incompetent government departments, increased personnel investment in education, increased tourism traffic, influence on the island’s identity from the island of Crooked Island, lack of library resources, lack of technological facilities, lack of youth programmes, limited educational courses, low employment, low maintenance of tourism sites, modern medical facilities lacking, need for increased resources, no indoor restrooms at schools, no means of garbage disposal or recycling, lack of proper educational facilities lacking, electricity supply and contingency lacking, proper financial services lacking, public relations lacking, sporting facilities needed, straw market needed, sustainability, teenage pregnancy, tourism facilities needed.
1.4.3 Andros: Development needed for sporting programs, drug & alcohol rehabilitation centre needed, elders belittle youth, employment positions held too long by older residents, ill-prepared teachers, lack of cultural awareness, lack of financial literacy, lack of parental support, lack of tertiary programmes, lack of the understanding of the importance of Junkanoo among residents, lack of tourism skills among residents, need for a National Youth Training Programme, need for emergency vehicles, need for etiquette programs, need for literacy programmes, need for sporting leagues, no opportunities for youth leadership, no youth programs, parent training needed, paedophilia, proper medical facilities needed, strengthened Social Services department needed, trained medical officers needed, training programmes for youth pastors and leaders needed, truancy issues, verbal abuse, violations of teacher-student relations need to be enforced.
1.4.4 Berry Islands: Corruption in law enforcement, drug dealing, disconnect between religious denominations, illegal gambling, lack of library personnel, lack of medical professionals, lack of mentors & guidance counsellors, lack of sporting facilities and equipment, lack of sincere religious leaders, lack of specialty subjects in schools, Social Services department lacking, teenage pregnancy, void of young religious leaders.
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1.4.5 Bimini: Church is a business, drug and alcohol abuse, depression, domestic abuse, health issues (diabetes, cancer and hypertension), high crime levels, high cost of living, high rates of sexual activity/promiscuity, HIV/AIDs at rising levels, lack of counsellors, lack of extracurricular activities, lack of positive role models, lack of governmental support, lack of medical personnel, lack of specialized governmental offices, lack of tertiary educational opportunities and educational programming, lack of technical & vocational subjects, lack of qualified law enforcement officers, limited library resources, low security level on the island, need for newer school facilities, poor education system, psychological abuse and a small employment pool.
1.4.6 Cat Island: Bad roads, broken family structure, drug and alcohol abuse, insufficient medical equipment, lack of cultural exposure, lack of food resources for the less-fortunate, lack of guidance counsellors in schools, lack of jobs, lack of sporting facilities, lack of sufficient scholarships for students, lack of industry diversification, more medical personnel needed, no dentists, no hospital, no facilities for the physically/mentally disabled, no incentives for youth to stay on the island, no job training and vocational programmes, no parks or recreational centres, no specialized electives in school, no support of entrepreneurial interests, no tertiary educational offerings, under-age partying and unemployment.
1.4.7 Crooked Island: Abuse of media, corrupt police officers, dock is partially broken down, dictatorial pastors, external transports (land and air) are broken, lack of motivation of youth, lack of teachers in specialized areas, negative gossip amongst residents, negative preconceived perceptions of youth among residents, no apprenticeship programmes, no church youth programmes, no fire department, no funding for sports, no library, no professional coaches, no medical personnel, no proper equipment for sporting events, no technical programmes, no tertiary education, runways (airport) are in disrepair, shortage of teachers and teenage pregnancy.
1.4.8 Eleuthera: Favouritism shown in schools, foreign teachers have a disconnect with students and students have a disconnect with the foreign teachers, forgery of legal documents by teachers, insufficient extracurricular activities, insufficient medical staff, lack of long-term employment, lack of professional coaches for students, lack of sporting facilities, molestation, nepotism, poor medical facilities, residents are ill-informed on current issues, rivalry between the settlements and teachers and students partying together.
1.4.9 Exuma: Biased scholarship distribution, brain drain, communication barrier between the young and the old, corrupt law enforcement, drug and alcohol abuse, high crime levels, high levels of promiscuity, inaccurate stigmatization of young people, infrequent career/college fairs, insufficient amount of courses offered in schools and at the local COB, insufficient amount of teachers in schools, lack of a regular magistrate court, lack of a sporting facility, lack of arts, crafts and Junkanoo in schools, lack of cable television, lack of entrepreneurial opportunities, job training or placement, technical and vocational programmes, lack of knowledge about contraceptives among residents, lack of knowledge about sustainability & recycling among residents, lack of knowledge about the island among residents, lack of low-cost housing for youth, lack of modern medical facilities, lack of opportunities for global exposure for youth, lack of positive social activities & places such as recreational centres, lack of funding for the island, lack of transportation system for residents, lack of weather warning system, loss of cultural identity among residents, loss of island pride among residents, low awareness of STDs, no financial literacy programmes, no funding for athletes, no voice in politics concerning the island, segregation among churches and their events, stuck- in-past youth leaders and unreported abuse.
1.4.10 Grand Bahama: Abusive law enforcement, alcohol abuse, church is no longer a sanctuary, corrupt law enforcement, deteriorated health care facilities, domestic abuse, drug abuse, failing education system, gang violence, high crime rate, high rate of STDs, ill-informed citizens, incest & molestation, insufficient jobs, insufficient teachers, lack of proper prison facilities, lack of a proper recreational facility, lack of a research centre,
14 | Page Motto: “Engaging, Enabling and Empowering Our Youth” THE NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY of THE BAHAMAS lack of coaches who care about youth, lack of confidentiality among professionals, lack of medical cadet programme for youth, lack of mentors & spiritual programs, lack of parental guidance, lack of scholarships for students, lack of sporting equipment, lack of support & funding from government, loss of family structure, low self-esteem among residents, more medical personnel needed, more structured educational & technical facilities needed, negative perception of youth among residents, no family planning programs, peer-pressure, police harassment, poor parenting, poor structural development of buildings, qualified young people being turned away from jobs, teachers with unsavoury backgrounds, teenage pregnancies, unsavoury persons becoming pastors and youth not feeling welcome.
1.4.11 Inagua: Activities for youth needed, coaches & equipment needed, deteriorated/damaged schools, drug abuse, high unemployment rate, lack of diversified employment opportunities/offerings ,lack of sporting facilities, negative attitudes and mentalities of residents, parents’ denial of children’s wrong-doing, poor communication among residents, sexual abuse and a high teenage sex rate.
1.4.12 Long Island: Deteriorating health care facilities and resources, lack of guidance and discipline, lack of education on sustainability, lack of encouragement to develop local resources, lack of governmental support, lack of incentives to return to island, lack of industrial opportunities, lack of judicial strength, lack of materials and resources for education and training, lack of parental supervision, lack of positive recreational and social activities, lack of programmes for ‘special’ students, lack of youth empowerment programmes, lack of youth involvement in decision-making processes, nepotism, poor external transportation, poor sporting facilities and unavailability of technical and vocational opportunities.
1.4.13 Mayaguana: Abortion, anger issues among residents, corrupt law enforcement, drug abuse, nepotism, education does not support the disabled or slow learners, expensive transportation, gang violence, hatred among residents, high dropout rates, incest, lack of access to technology, lack of church organizations/activities, lack of educational resources, lack of encouragement for youth, lack of extracurricular activities, lack of food sources, lack of investment opportunities, lack of a library, lack of media resources, lack of medical personnel, lack of sporting facilities, lack of teachers, negative relationships among residents, no apprenticeship opportunities, paedophilia,, [physical abuse, prejudice, rape, settlement segregation, sexual abuse, teenage pregnancy, high cost of food/living and violence between teachers and students.
1.4.14 New Providence: Alcohol abuse, antiquated church mindset, authority figures abusing rights and power, constant breaches of trust and confidence, corrupt law enforcement, corrupt mindset of youth division in the church, domestic abuse, drug dealing and using, ignorance of youth issues among residents, improper nutrition, inadequate laws, insufficient medical facilities, lack of job opportunities, lack of parental involvement with children and lack of proper parental guidance, lack of sex education, loss of Bahamian Identity, loss of family structure, molestation, negative media influence, nepotism, peer pressure, prostitution, religious hypocrites, teenage pregnancy and youth taking on the role of parents with their siblings.
1.4.15 San Salvador: Drug and alcohol abuse, high rate of theft, involvement in gambling, high rate of unemployed youth, influence of negative media, lack of diversified industries, lack of jobs, lack of emergency vehicles, lack of interest in the youth, lack of positive activities, lack of sporting facilities, limited course offerings, no medical personnel and outdated educational equipment.
These are the candid and uncontaminated views of young people ages 15 years to 29 years that were expressed to the National Youth Policy Team over a six (6) year research period (2007 – 2013) from various youth forums which were conducted by the team to determine what issues young people perceived to be hindering their development.
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1.6 Rationale for a National Youth Policy of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas
Since gaining independence in 1973, far-reaching opportunities were created through a transformative process that included the development of legislation and policies to guide the national development of The Bahamas and to improve the quality of life for its citizens. Similarly, there was a great need for youth development in the early Bahamas, as many young Bahamians were not afforded equal opportunities to education, employment and healthcare prior to Majority Rule. From as far back as the late 1960s and early 1970s, men like former Member of Parliament Edmund Moxey, had criticised the Government for failing to include community youth programmes in its national budget. History remembers Mr. Moxey’s one-man protest on the floor of the House of Assembly on December 12, 1973, wearing placards on his chest and back, one of which said, “Mr. Prime Minister, how much do you care? Community Youth and Jumbey Village thrown out of the budget. Help save the people and the country.”
It wasn’t until 1977, that the “Father of the Nation”, the late Sir Lynden Pindling, established the Ministry of Youth, Sports & Community Affairs. As Minister, Mr. Kendal W. Nottage used the combination of sporting events and community activities as a medium to build the talent of young people in The Bahamas. However, his 1977 model for youth development still remains the same model used today by the Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture. Several attempts have been made by previous Directors of Youth to implement a National Youth Policy for The Bahamas and the need to develop a National Youth Policy was also identified by the Consultative Committee on National Youth Development’s Report in 1994. Although a Policy was drafted, it was never introduced or adopted, and it is on this basis that the National Youth Policy Team continued its six (6) year-long campaign of consultative and drafting efforts to continuously lobby the government for the implementation of a National Youth Policy. Subsequent government reports, like the ‘National Commission on Crime Report 1998’, and ‘The Situation of Youth in The Bahamas 2005’ revealed that not much has changed since the Consultative Committee on National Youth Development 1994 report, nor has the structure, funding, management and services of Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture seen any revisions.
While addressing youth delegates at the ‘National Youth Partnership Summit 2012 (NYPS 12)’, where The Minister of Youth, Sports & Culture, The Hon. Dr. Daniel Johnson was also presented with a copy of the Draft National Youth Policy of The Bahamas, prepared by the National Youth Policy Consultative Team led by Mr. Tavarrie D. Smith and vetted by the NYPS 12 delegates, the Hon. Dr. Daniel Johnson, Minister of Youth, Sports & Culture said, “This is an exciting time for us here at the Ministry of Youth, and perhaps the single greatest development we have made towards Youth Development as a country, since the establishment of the Youth Division. You have my commitment that this Policy will be No. 1 on my agenda, and I certainly will do my best to honour that commitment in the coming months.” It is in that spirit that Minister Johnson has urged all stakeholders within his ministry to “intensify their efforts” towards the implementation of this 2014 National Youth Policy for The Bahamas.
The rationale for this National Youth Policy is based on the historical account of the development of the Ministry responsible for youth in The Bahamas, the situational analysis of young people in The Bahamas and the national/international commitments made on behalf of the Government of The Bahamas including but not limited to the following:
1. (1978) United Nations Resolutions on Youth (The Commission for Social Development): Since 1978 up to 2011, the General Assembly of the United Nations has produced over twenty (20) plus resolutions, with The Bahamas agreeing and signing onto many of them. Some of the key articles of these resolutions called for the “recognition of young people as an active part of society and important actors for social development” and went on to “encourage Member States to involve young people and youth organisations in all aspects of youth development”. A number of these resolutions were very specific and “urged governments, in consultations with youth organisations to develop holistic and integrated youth policies ... to enhance inter-agency arrangements on youth policies and programmes, with a view to improving coordination and enhancing synergies among relevant system activities in this regard”. Thus, the implementation of
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this 2014 National Youth Policy of The Bahamas will bring The Bahamas in compliance with its international commitments.
2. (1994): Consultative Committee on National Youth Development Report. The report identified the need for a “Bahamas National Youth Policy, which proposes to aim at the development of all young persons, particularly high-risk youth, most of whom are out –of-school and in transition to full adulthood and citizenship , with a view to ensure their full positive and meaningful participation in the life of the Bahamian society.” (1994:92)
3. (1995): The World Summit for Social Development. The Policy seeks to acknowledge the significance of social development and human well–being for all. At The World Summit for Social Development, The Bahamas agreed on the adoption of ‘The Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and the Programme of Action’ in Denmark, 6-12 March 1995. The Honourable Theresa Moxey-Ingraham, Minister of Health and Environment, in her address stated that “a final concern is a rapidly increasing youth segment of our population and the inability of our economic system to provide them with gainful employment, coupled with this is a growing awareness that an out-dated school system fails to equip the great majority of our young people with life skills and training opportunities that will enable them to find jobs after school. The results of this problem are no different from anywhere else in the world – increasing marginalisation of our young people, alienation, social deviance and increasing poverty.” The commitments of the declaration also included an action by governments to “enhance government policies and programmes to promote social development.”
4. (2005): ‘The Situation of Youth in The Bahamas’. Prepared by Loraine Blank PhD. For The Government of The Bahamas and the Inter-American Development Bank: The report identified the challenges for the future, and stated, “Most Bahamian youth make a successful transition from childhood to adulthood. However, many young people are not doing well and are at risk from a multitude of social and economic factors.” It also recommended a variety of initiatives, and a multifaceted approach in addressing the development of young people in The Bahamas. It stated, “The challenges are formidable and financial and human resources will be required to address them. However, it is important to remember that the negative behaviours of youth are also costly- not only to the youth themselves but also to society as a whole. In the long run, investments in youth can be expected reap significant returns. It is important to understand that promoting optimal youth development will require a long planning horizon. Short-term interventions are required to address the needs of today’s youth; long-term strategies are required to promote optimal development and thereby, reduce the magnitude of youth-at-risk problem among tomorrow’s youth.”
5. (2006): Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting (CYMM 6). The Bahamas hosted the 6th CYMM, from on the 24th – 26th May, 2006 and led the charge for the implementation of a number of youth friendly recommendations and resolutions. One of the key commitments made by Youth Ministers was for the development and empowerment of young people as a fundamental Commonwealth goal. Through the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP), the Commonwealth has developed national youth policies from the early 1970s, as it believes “the creation of NYPs is an acknowledgment of the specific needs of young men and women, as well as formal recognition of their unique contribution to national development. NYPs provide a means and a symbol for society as a whole to declare, document and intensify their commitment to their young citizens, and an occasion to determine appropriate priorities, goals and strategies.” The Government of The Bahamas, along with other Commonwealth Youth Ministers released a Communiqué and a Message to the CHOGM 2007 where they endorsed youth mainstreaming as the core approach for implementation of a strategic plan. The endorsement stated a commitment to “integrate national youth policies into their economic development policy in the context of sustainable youth development” and the endorsement of “an asset based approach to youth policy formulation that recognises the link to democratic youth – centred involvement in the design, monitoring and evaluation of policy and related youth programmes.” It also called for
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increased resource allocations for youth development to enable the ministries to more effectively lead the multi-sector youth mainstreaming approach to youth development and empowerment and said, “Governments should mainstream youth development and empowerment in all policy- making, planning and programme delivery in the political, legal, economic and social spheres.”
6. (2007): Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The Commonwealth Youth Forum Six, that immediately preceded the CHOGM meetings on November 14-21st 2007 in Kampala, Uganda, forwarded a number of recommendations to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting on youth issues, all of which were unanimously adopted at the CHOGM sessions. Those recommendations urged Member States to emphasise the need to ensure appropriate structures and policies, greater participation of young people in national decision – making and global governance, formulate policies and to eliminate discrimination based on age and gender among young people seeking to own property and capital. Commitments for the establishment of youth-friendly recreational centres, peace building initiatives, and the facilitation of entrepreneurial development through the execution of Youth Enterprise Development (YED) and the Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment (PAYE) initiatives were also adopted. The Bahamas was in full attendance and not only supported the Communiqués, but its Youth Ambassadors (Anastarcia Huyler and Tavarrie D. Smith) were extremely instrumental in the deliberations and drafting of those recommendations.
7. (2010): CARICOM Commission on Youth Development Report. The Situation of Youth in The Caribbean Report, entitled “Eye on the Future, Investing in YOUTH NOW for Tomorrow’s Community” was submitted to the CARICOM Heads of Government in January 2010 by the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development. Chapter VI concluded with recommendations to “create an enabling environment for effective youth policy, partnership and development”, and arising from these were a set of proposed CARICOM Youth Development Goals (CYDG). At a special summit of CARICOM Heads of Government on Youth Development, Georgetown Guyana, January 29th 2010, Government leaders in response to the report said that the question, therefore, “is not whether we should invest in youth development within the Caribbean region but how strategic the investment should be and whether the collective will exists to dismantle those programmes which do not work but it is essential to create a frame and implement youth policy that will provide interventions that will work or even start afresh, if we have to do so.”
8. (2012) Her Majesty’s Government (Progressive Liberal Party) Charter of Governance; The PLP gave its commitment to “focus on young people.” They stated in their charter that “the Progressive Liberal Party recognizes and celebrates the multiple talents and creativity of Bahamian young people. We accept that Bahamians will continue to be the primary builders of The Bahamas. Our young people can be assured that under a PLP Government their creative genius will be encouraged and supported.” It also went on to state “it is now commonly accepted that the disintegration of our social fabric has resulted in the loss of many of our young people, particularly our young men. Endless discussions point to the family unit for answers as we search to understand the challenges and changes in our communities. In spite of all of the changes, one constant seems to be that, generally, young people from environments where there is love, support and encouragement still go on to do well. In The Bahamas of yesteryear, love, support and encouragement were provided by immediate families, extended families and by members of the community-at-large.”
9. (2012): Her Majesty’s Official Opposition (Free National Movement) Manifesto 2012; The FNM also made a commitment to social and youth development. They stated that “the Free National Movement believes that our youth represent the future of our country, hence, dedication to preparing them to participate in the country and to compete at international standards.”
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PART 2: THE NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY FRAMEWORK
2.1 Vision and Mission for Youth
Mission:
“The national direction for youth development is to aid young people in the successful transition into adulthood.”
Value Statement:
“We value and respect young people as major assets in the development of our nation; we recognise the importance of building strategic partnerships with the Government, private sector and community leaders. In all our interactions for youth development we demonstrate excellence, creativity and integrity”
Motto:
“Engaging, Enabling and Empowering Our Youth”
▪ Engaging: That we first engage our young people through attractive and appropriate means;
▪ Enabling: That we provide the enabling environments for our youth to succeed.
▪ Empowering: That we provide services and skills training to empower them, and finally;
2.2 Definition of Youth
Due to the youthfulness of The Bahamas and its status as a developing-nation, there is a need for The Bahamas to begin investing strongly in its human capital, particularly its youth, if we are to competitively function on the same scale as our counterparts. The government must provide opportunities for young people – either through the MOYSC or through different programmes so that youth become the main beneficiaries, especially when it comes to education, employment, safety and health. It also has to be stressed that youth issues are unique in The Bahamas compared to many other Caribbean and/or Commonwealth Nations because of the extensive archipelagic land-seascape that we cover. Government support and interest in young people must become a priority to be demonstrated by providing more opportunities and favourable conditions for youth development.
It is for these reasons, that the policy adopts a wide definition of youth, defining youth in the country as the age group of 15 to 35 years, male and female, similar to other developing countries and small-island states. We believe that this group signifies a separate socio-ethical category of the population who are particularly vulnerable to socio-economic changes. It is further recognised that social, cultural, and economic influences construct the positive development of youth; since all persons within this age group do not represent one homogenous group, but rather a mixture of sub-groups with differing social and cultural perceptions, the age group maybe divided into two broad sub-groups of 15 – 25 years (primary youth) and 26 – 35 years (adult youth) to assist stakeholders in the delivery of their programmes and services. However, for statistical purposes, the UN definition of youth (referring to ‘youth’ as people between the 15 to 29 years) will be frequently used so as to benefit from international youth designations. This policy should guide the official designation of youth for The Bahamas and recognises that the ages of 15 – 35 years is the preferred age and should be used as the prevailing age.
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2.3 Official Statement on Youth
As recognised by the National Youth Policy Consultative Team, we declare that:
“Young people are clever and competent enough to assume responsibility for their own development and to make meaningful contributions to all decisions and on all issues pertaining to them, at all levels of society. The participation of youth in the affairs of The Bahamas is an indispensable step in the promotion of national development and responsible citizenship. Their capacity to contribute needs to be ensured in the true form of their youthful expression, creativity and strength and undertaken by stakeholders to allow them to play the central role in their own development.”
2.4 Principles, Strategy and Expected Impact
The National Youth Policy is designed to ensure that there is a cohesive, recognizable and manageable national response mechanism in place to respond to the various issues and challenges impacting young people in The Bahamas. Such response efforts must be made to equally benefit males and females, the marginalised, Family Islanders, the disabled and other sub-groupings of youth, according to their unique needs. The MOY must also ensure that there is meaningful contribution and participation from youth in making decisions at all levels. For this policy to strategically achieve its expected impact, it will be governed by the following principles:
▪ Recognizing that the basis of the future development of The Bahamas begins with the acknowledgment that youth are a sub-population with their own unique challenges, circumstances, needs and dimensions that require specific assignment of social resources towards meeting those needs;
▪ Recognizing that the basis for the building of the concept of a productive Bahamian citizen must be integrated with the inclusion of young people in the centre of the political, social, economic and cultural life of The Bahamas;
▪ Recognizing that the promotion of dignity and equal treatment amongst all citizens cannot be realized until we value young people as the most treasured national asset of The Bahamas;
▪ Recognizing that society’s tendency to underestimate the awareness of young people as participants in the governance of The Bahamas must be countered by the meaningful and consistent preparation of young people to achieve their own vision of a peaceful, fair and equal Bahamas;
▪ Recognizing that young people have a central role to play in all social processes and institutions, and that this role is critically under-represented in government bodies and local self-government units, civil society, and particularly youth-related bodies;
▪ Recognizing the need to encourage the existence, functioning and sphere of action surrounding the associative and active life of young people, their freedom of expression, their freedom of association, and their right to access equal opportunities at the local and national level;
▪ Recognizing that the assistance of young people is required in overcoming the inevitable challenges we face as a young, developing, small-island nation in which young people are to be respected as an integral part in the recovery and development of The Bahamas;
▪ Recognizing the importance of strengthening young people’s moral and spiritual values by first establishing national principles of respect for basic fundamental rights and freedoms, morals,
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spiritual values and ethical standards to be adopted by all citizens.
This policy is designed to have a targeted impact upon all youth as defined by Article 2.1 of this document, while recognizing that affirmative action approaches are necessary to harness positive impacts from the following sub-categories of young people:
▪ Marginalized Youth ▪ Family Island Youth (Underdeveloped Communities/rural youth) ▪ Stateless Youth ▪ Vulnerable Youth ▪ Unemployed and Underemployed Youth ▪ Youth in Conflict with the Law ▪ Inner-City Youth ▪ Youth in State Care (Wards of the State) ▪ Out of School Youth (Dropouts, Pregnancy, Suspension, Expulsion) ▪ Youth infected by STDs, HIV & AIDS ▪ Youth with Chronic/Terminal Health Illnesses ▪ Youth with Disabilities ▪ Female Youth (Young Women and Girls) ▪ College Students Home and Abroad (Ministry of Education has priority for adolescents) ▪ Young Professionals
2.5 Policy Goals and Long-Term Objectives
The foremost goal of this Youth Policy is:
“To provide an appropriate framework for the Ministry of Youth, stakeholders, partners and benefactors of youth development in The Bahamas that will coalesce efforts to improve education, health and the quality of life for young Bahamians, ensuring that investments in youth takes place at all levels of society while creating an enabling and meaningful environment for youth participation as agents of social, economic, political and cultural change at every stage of the overall development of Bahamian society.”
The Youth policy has the following long-term objectives:
▪ Sustainable youth development for The Bahamas by mainstreaming youth matters into the various focal areas of local and national development;
▪ Active participation of young people in the defining of Bahamian identity, Bahamian culture and Bahamian values through expression of their own creative potential;
▪ Social development and social integration of youth through quality formal and informal education;
▪ Economic development through increased employment, self-employment and more competitive employment opportunities for young people;
▪ Promoting sustainable livelihoods, healthy lifestyles, ethical standards, spiritual and moral values for young people in their living, working, learning and social environments;
▪ Legislative development and enforcement that will promote fundamental human rights, the rights of the child, and juvenile justice reform through meaningful access to justice for young people and the adoption of the concept of restorative justice for young people;
▪ Meaningful participation and inclusion of young people at all levels, including all social and public
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processes of decision-making;
▪ A more efficient, functioning and competent Ministry of Youth through professionalised staffing and coordinated restructuring to provide relevant services/programmes that are tangibly measured; and
▪ The development and promotion of the youth sector as a whole by the adoption of best practices, the strengthening of innovative youth initiatives and the creation of new features that the sector should be integrated into the overall scheme of youth development
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PART 3: KEY POLICY OBJECTIVES AND RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES
3.1 Identification & Self-Awareness
KEY POLICY OBJECTIVE :
The active participation of young people in the defining of Bahamian identity, Bahamian culture and values through expression of their own creative potential.
3.1.2 Problem Statement:
“What is the Bahamian Dream?” One must first answer this question in order to address the issues of youth identification and self-awareness. This process includes the active participation of young people who have addressed the policy team with their concerns of being “invisible” to society. Additional efforts should be placed into recognising that youth are not a homogenous group; the concept of identity varies because youth culture is comprised of several sub-cultures that are often grouped into one.
Young Bahamians feel that they are not a priority in the eyes of anyone and are only recognized in relation to delinquency. Despite positive contributions in education, sports, culture and entertainment, young people are rarely consulted: policy makers continue to make decisions without youth inclusion despite the many ways that young people contribute to national development through their time, talent and resources. Policy makers must accept that the unique set of knowledge and experiences derived from the perspective of youth offer untapped wells of value for this nation. As guardians of the future, we must move forward with the goal of prioritizing the contributions of young people in national development at all levels.
Self-Awareness is the second link in order to determine what the “Bahamian Dream” ought to be. The deficiency of positive role models and mentors continues to be overshadowed by high levels of negative influences, particularly for young people from lower socio-economic statuses. The common perception amongst young people is that unethical community leaders (eg. dishonest politicians, drug dealers, unsavoury pastors) are often celebrated because of their success in “beating the system.” Due to this perception, policy consultations have revealed that young people endure strained relationships with (a) educators, (b) the Church, (c) parents/guardians (d) other persons in authority and (e) senior citizens.
Traditional parental views and techniques that eschew such values as “children are to be seen, not heard” and “do as I say, not as I do”, through the subverting of agency and devaluing of personhood, have resulted in large segments of the youth population adopting a negative self-image. Consequently, in the absence of positive reinforcements and affirmations, young people often seek identification with any group who will accept them, whether negative or positive. It is evidently clear from Policy research and consultations that youth-identification and self-awareness is significantly hampered by a variety of destructive forces, including misplaced cultural ideals, lack of adequate Bahamian Civics education, stateless youth, stigmas towards youth and family Islanders and a deepening generational gap.
This policy realizes that self-identification is a significant aspect in the life of any young Bahamian, encompassing Caribbean, national and personal awareness and contributing to formulation of “The Bahamian Dream.”
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3.1.3 Target Areas: 3.1.4 RECOMMENDED INTERVENTIONS:
▪ Bahamian 1. Efforts should be made to develop programmes designed to promote tolerance Identity; and better understanding between youth and adults with a view to encourage intergenerational learning and religious tolerance; ▪ Caribbean Identity; 2. Emphasis should be put on the creation of incentives for young people with regard to their development in the areas of Bahamian history, Bahamian identity and Bahamian pride; ▪ Role Models and Mentors; 3. Island Unification Initiative to be designed and implemented on each Family Island to bridge the gaps between settlements: culturally, socially and ▪ Influence of geographically; Media; and 4. Encourage young people to participate in artistic activities, regional integration, cultural presentations and social projects as a part of their education, personal
development and leisure time;
5. Encourage youth creative capabilities in the field of Bahamian culture and the learning of the positive cultural values that comprise what it means to be
Bahamian;
6. The defining and development of a “Character of Bahamian Youth” as a descriptive guide on what the ideal Bahamian youth should aspire to emulate;
7. Building young people’s personality upon the fundamental rights to freedom, justice, representation and an abiding respect for their differences;
8. Implement a National Leadership, Morals, Values and Self-Esteem Programme for youth throughout The Bahamas;
9. Redefining the relationship between young people and their guardians, particularly with educators, legal custodians, church leaders and parents, so that there is open and clear communication in which both parties can freely express themselves. Persons in authority over youth must understand and appreciate the concept of the teenage brain, recognizing that young people often carry the same responsibilities as guardians though not afforded the same rights and opportunities;
10. Programmes for adults to foster a culture of tolerance for young people and means of expression;
11. A national campaign, supported by transparency, particularly where youth involvement is concerned, to demonstrate that nepotism is not a secured means of self-development and personal advancement;
12. Stronger emphasis to provide positive male presence and guidance for young men without father figures through affirmative action, male-led socialization programmes and national initiatives to strengthen the number of men working in agencies that provide services to young people;
13. Stakeholders to partner with media houses with the goal of minimizing the negative representation of young people in the media and equally cover positive youth events in local reporting;
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14. Facilitate access to media outlets for youth to freely express their ingenuity by supporting the establishment of youth-led media, such as youth newspapers and radio shows;
15. Openness and transparency of national and local institutions that provide services to youth;
16. Formation of a National Youth Information Service under the Ministry of Youth to work in partnership with Bahamas Information Services (BIS);
17. Continuing upgrades to the quality and functioning of libraries to ensure equal and fair access to all information for young people.
18. More programmes aimed to inform youth of responsible social networking practices;
19. A national mentorship programme that provides specific support and services to the different youth identities and celebrates the differences between the various sub-cultures that make up the youth population;
20. More media programmes enabling higher mobility of young people with the objective of enabling their cultural and ethical maturation as citizens.
21. Youth Participation in decision making on the future of the Caribbean community, in particular the CSME, must be valued and better utilized in order to protect the interests of Bahamian youth as it relates to Caribbean economic integration;
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3.1.A YOUTH AND IMMIGRATION
Key Policy Objective 3.1.A-1
To promote legislative reform towards assisting youth in The Bahamas who cannot avail themselves of current procedures for citizenship or naturalisation and to improve the capacity of agencies to find tangible solutions to the problem.
3.1.A-2 Problem Statement:
In the article, “Bahamas and Haiti: Treatment of Haitians in The Bahamas”, published by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada on 7th June 2012, the British Broadcasting Corporation reported that the number of Haitians living in The Bahamas is estimated at 80,000 out of a population of approximately 350,000 (20 Sept. 2009). Minority Rights Group International (MRG) stated that there are between 20,000 and 70,000 Haitians in The Bahamas, “making them the largest and most visible ethnic minority” in the country (2008). According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Haitians make up most of the migrant population in The Bahamas (May 2009). Though Haitians represent the largest immigrant group, Jamaicans, Chinese and Dominicans have also been identified as other large groups of migrants in The Bahamas. This policy is concerned with the young populations of these migratory groups, with a particular focus on those born in The Bahamas.
Presently, there is no “right” to citizenship for persons born in The Bahamas to non-Bahamian parents. Although there is a right to “apply” for citizenship at the age of 18 years, there remain many challenges in the application process. The determining of citizenship in The Bahamas is at the sole discretion of the Minister responsible for Immigration, with little, if any, recourse for persons who have been denied citizenship. The process of citizenship has been described as disheartening and very drawn out, usually lasting for several years. This period of ‘waiting’ creates another category of statelessness, where persons are unable to obtain legal employment, unable to travel, open a bank account, attend college or benefit from national social programmes. These young people become virtually invisible in the country that they were born in and have resided in their entire life. Young stateless persons often have a weak sense of self-awareness: unable to be identified as Bahamian and unable to identify with the nationality of their parents. This injustice has created ethnic tension between Bahamians and immigrants, social unrest, forced displacement and regional instability. During the consultation process, the National Youth Policy Team hosted focus groups and surveyed over 200 stateless youth, in particular those of Haitian descent, between the ages of 16 to 33 years. The following key issues were identified as negatively impacting them:
▪ The tedious and extensive process of applying for citizenship;
▪ Unequal opportunities to a quality education - especially at a tertiary level. (Access to local scholarships and government grants, scholarships and loans.);
▪ A sense of unmatched discrimination and a feeling of no sense of belonging;
▪ Disallowance of qualifications to obtain certain jobs until they can provide proof of citizenship;
▪ Many stateless youth compare themselves to ‘aliens’ because they have no right to citizenship in the country of their birth and because they also feel unwelcomed in the country of their parents’ birth;
▪ A sense of exploitation; young people born to foreign parents, Haitian Nationals and Haitian Bahamians are often identified and blamed for social ills but are never identified as Haitians when they make positive contributions and,
▪ The constant fear of their own deportation and the deportation of their family and friends.
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3.1.A-3 Recommended Interventions
1. Special attention should be given to illegal immigration and strategies devised to integrate persons who are born in The Bahamas into mainstream society while ensuring that they are equipped with marketable skills to enable them to become economically productive in a bid to deter them from becoming burdens on society;
2. The Department of Immigration should work closely with the Department of Youth and other relevant authorities to launch an aggressive advocacy programme to protect youth born in The Bahamas to non-Bahamian parents;
3. Increased efforts to provide a more streamlined, relevant and modern application process for youth born in The Bahamas to non-Bahamian parents, so as to prevent them from becoming discouraged or intimidated by the application process;
4. Revisit the citizenship laws and application policy, supported by national debate, national research and intellectual/academic materials that outline the implications of having stateless individuals in our population;
5. The establishment of a Naturalization Support Unit within the Department of Youth to assist youth born to non-Bahamian parents with the application process, preparing necessary documents, translation of documents, filing and processing fees and capacity training to help youth with applications when preparing for their interview with Immigration officials;
6. The implementation of a pre-application process for youth born in The Bahamas to non-Bahamian parents who are seniors in the High-School system to help fast-track the application process with the view that, upon graduation from high school, their citizenship status would have been already determined;
7. That Bahamians of Haitian descent have fair and equal access to grants and assistance with self- development;
8. Temporary work permits/status processed for youth born in The Bahamas to non-Bahamian parents, so that stateless youth are able to qualify for various jobs pending a determination of their citizenship or naturalisation process;
9. An aggressive national campaign should be launched and supported by The Ministry of Youth to bring awareness and appreciation to the many complex issues and challenges facing stateless youth in The Bahamas with the objective of sensitizing the public to their plight;
10. That the Government provides temporary status to accommodate stateless populations in our society, until such time as their appropriate status may be determined in accordance with national laws;
11. That interventions for stateless youth should occur earlier than before their 18th birthday, but should begin at the time of birth or early childhood so that by the time the child reaches adolescence, they would have acceded citizenship; and
12. That national focus must shift to providing pathways for children born to non-Bahamian parents.
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3.2 Education, Technology & Capacity Building
KEY POLICY OBJECTIVE: To enhance the professional development and social integration of youth through quality formal and informal education.
Problem Statement:
Youth in The Bahamas have been and continue to be impacted by a failing education system and a lack of meaningful and relevant subjects to engage them in the learning process. This admission was first publicly acknowledged by the Honourable Theresa Moxey-Ingraham during her address at The World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen, Denmark on the 6-12 March, 1995. Despite this public admission, the national grade point average still hovers around a D+ and our nation’s youth have made little improvement through the learning institutions provided to them. As one of the most important tools of human development, this policy recognizes that education is the foremost important tool in the development of our nation. Our national GPA has a direct correlation to the quality and relevance of the education being offered to our students. This is critical, because youth are extremely susceptible to external influences and will likely be influenced in the absence of an ability to make an informed decision.
Moreover, a lot of focus has been placed on formal education, but little has been placed on informal education. The question we must ask ourselves as a nation is, “What is our emphasis for educating our youth?” Is it to create a functional labour force or is it to create a well-trained and highly skilled, youthful cadre of nation builders? While The Bahamas must be noted for ensuring that youth are given access to a basic education, the problem appears to be with that very cycle of “basic education.” A noted example is the practice of social promotion, in which students are allowed to complete high school without meeting the necessary ‘basic’ requirements for graduation. Added to that, the socio-economic statuses of many youth have impacted their ability to truly participate in the education experience because they are confronted with numerous competing ills. The absence of any instilled form of discipline and the less than mediocre participation of many parents are continuing to weaken efforts made by educators to advance the development of our young people.
During the National Youth Policy Team consultations, young people noted the absence and lack of support from parents as the single most contributing hindrance to their learning. It appears that this breakdown in the home translates to a breakdown in the classroom, and the result is that we have a generation of young people who continue to show less or no appreciation at all for learning. The challenges of young people are captured in this phrase from “The Situation of Youth in The Bahamas” report prepared by Lorraine Blank PhD, 2005 where it stated, “Even among the wealthiest Bahamian youth, we still find 1 in 5 enrolled in schools or training. The Limited access to post- secondary learning opportunities has significant implications for both the future employability of young people and the economic development of The Bahamas.”
TARGET AREAS: RECOMMENDED INTERVENTIONS:
Formal Education 1. Ensure that students are involved in the decision-making process as it relates to the creation of the process of education at their local schools by facilitating student representation via a student council and/or the prefect body;
2. Regularly inform students about the operation, management and regulations of their institution of learning through consultations, general student body meetings, student councils, alumni associations and other
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forms of dialogue;
3. Provide a diverse and relevant spectrum of courses in education that is meaningful, appealing and relevant to young people at all levels of learning in The Bahamas;
4. Design programmes to increase the involvement of educators, teachers, the Bahamas Union of Teachers, community members and parents;
5. Develop “Career High Schools” throughout the country, including Family Islands, that focus directly on the career paths that students want to pursue with emphasis on implementing such facilities and providing funding to assist with their access;
6. That career path programmes in the High School system must be balanced with the reality that few young adults remain in a single career field for their entire life;
7. Provide adequate public knowledge of scholarships offered for high school and tertiary level institutions, particularly with equal access to Family Islanders - not only through the Ministry of Education, but also through International Bodies & the Technical Assistance Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
8. There must be linkages between sport and the wider development framework to facilitate the establishment of a fully functioning and stocked athletics departments for all Family Island High schools through partnership with International NGO’s and the IDB;
9. The mandatory implementation of Bahamian Civic Studies in all schools, to ensure that youth in The Bahamas understand their culture, their history and their government with the aim to facilitate diversity in their learning;
10. Restructure the screening and hiring process so that local and foreign educators meet international professional standards and to promote cultural awareness and sensitivity amongst foreign educators to ensure that we are recruiting the best to educate our students;
11. The provision of Special Education Teachers on every Family Island to assist students with both physical and mental challenges;
12. Ensure that marginalized youth, including young men, remain an active part of the school system to the extent that they are contributing positively to the learning environment;
13. Ensure that tertiary education is affordable for all young persons, regardless of their status, including age, religion, etc;
14. The provision of satellite college campuses on the Family Islands to facilitate learning and ensure that young people have equal access to learning;
15. Provide adequate infrastructure and educational facilities for more
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concentrated learning taking place, particularly in the Family Islands;
16. Facilitate the review of student’s ability to complete grade requirements before progression to ensure that competencies in education are acquired;
17. Ensure that national education exists for and focuses on the people, with emphasis on youth, by preparing youth for citizenship and leadership, encouraging growth, innovation, invention and interaction across all factions, developing both physical and intellectual capital, and facilitating a nationally-approved, focus-driven curriculum for all schools in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas;
18. The harmonization of school support services for both students and parents, inclusive of but not limited to: vibrant Parent Teachers Associations, school social workers, guidance counsellors and school psychologists; and
19. The re-examination of the practice of discipline and the exploration and implementation of alternative means of discipline inclusive of but not limited to restorative justice approaches to treat with school discipline;
Informal Education 1. Provide positive extracurricular activities that would help young people to strive for excellence;
2. Incorporate cultural awareness, etiquette, conflict resolution, self-defence, and financial literacy courses into the school curriculum;
3. That community service, through organisations like Urban Renewal, Volunteer Bahamas and others become a prerequisite for graduation.
4. The introduction of transitional programmes to assist Junior/Senior High Schools students with their transition into College and/or the job market;
5. The re-examination of the infrastructure of informal education available nationally;
6. Highlight and reinforce the availability of musical, sporting & technical classes;
7. The implementation of informal education, including child-care and healthy practices in the school curriculum.
8. Fishing expeditions to be made available to Bahamian youth through partnerships with bone fishers, commercial fishers, sports fishers and the exploration of traditional fishing grounds in The Bahamas;
9. The expansion of facilities like The Island School in Eleuthera, the Institute for Marine Science on Lee Stocking Islands, and other Bahamas Marine Habitats and Aquariums to facilitate oceanic learning for Bahamian youth;
10. The introduction of non-formal swimming classes;
11. The expansion of classroom guidance programmes that teach young
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people social and interactive skills and deal with the holistic development of young people in the school system;
12. That programmes like The Bahamas Learning Channel include informal learning segments;
13. The establishment of Gardening Programmes where youth are encouraged to participate in community gardening, which entails the planning and growth of native herbs, flowers and bush medicine that can be harvested and prepared for distribution in the community through markets at special events.
14. The implementation of a Youth Music Education initiative where youth are exposed to increasingly complex, dynamic and diverse forms of expression and meaning through music, media and local culture.
15. The establishment of a National Guild for Community Arts Education that includes various forms of Fine Arts, including but not limited to Photography, Drama, Dance, Acting and Spoken Word, providing venues where young people are given a chance to stretch their minds, bodies and imaginations in a setting that is less obviously structured, programmatically more flexible and conducive to more informal mentoring relationships with adults.
Technology 1. The introduction and proper maintenance of state of the art media and technology in the classrooms to facilitate modern learning and best practices for youth in The Bahamas;
2. Facilitate the implementation of technological tools and resources in the schools - supported by easily accessible areas to the internet for young people;
3. Enhance and upgrade technological tools presently available to ensure that our youth remain on the cutting edge of the latest technological advancements;
4. Evaluate and enhance existing science programmes while implementing new ones and identifying concerns in order to make certain that investments to sciences and technology are reaching the youth;
5. Provide incentives for youth to increase their interest and performances in the sciences and technological fields;
6. Provide mentors and qualified tutors to youth in all areas of education, to increase their performance, productivity and interests in these areas;
7. The promotion of information technology on the Family Islands to bring Family Island youth current with those in New Providence;
8. An increased commitment by the government to improving technical and institutional capacities through the increased provision of Technical and Vocational Education Courses (TVEC) for young people through grants and affordable services.
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Capacity Building 1. Ensure that all persons working with young people are sufficiently trained on the various issues and concerns impacting them, with an aim to increase the capacity and skills of youth workers so that they are better able to provide more efficient services and programmes;
2. Support for research projects concerning young people where such research papers and projects are focused on acquiring data, skills and information, to ensure that programmes and services are better aimed at addressing young people at the core of their needs;
3. That academic institutions provide professional Degree and Diploma programmes/courses in Youth Work;
4. Promote free and universal access to quality education and training to build the capacity of young people and a strong human resource base;
5. Design and implement programmes to build self-confidence, leadership and life skills in young women and men;
6. Boost the spirit of volunteerism among the youth in various fields, including civic education, charity and community services;
7. Engage youth in the fight against crime, especially the production, trafficking, and use of illegal drugs, by offering alternative income generating opportunities and the promotion of healthy lifestyles;
8. Provide skill building opportunities for youth;
9. Provide orientation and training for adults facilitating youth capacity building and identify viable means to combine work and training;
10. Provide support structures such as coaching and support for youth in all areas, utilizing youth-adult working ‘teams’.
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3.3 Employment, Social Enterprise & Young Professionals
KEY POLICY OBJECTIVE: To facilitate economic development through increased employment, self-employment and more competitive employment opportunities for young people; Problem Statement:
The Government of The Bahamas in recent years has launched various programmes and initiatives to facilitate youth entrepreneurship; yet, young people in The Bahamas still suffer greatly from unemployment and underemployment issues. In February 2012, the government released the nation’s most recent unemployment statistics through the Department of Statistics Labour Force November 2011, claiming a youth unemployment rate of 34% in The Bahamas. Despite the fact that youth make up nearly two-thirds of the population, they have limited opportunities for viable employment, education, training, and skills development and are more likely to be unemployed than any other sector of the Bahamian society.
If youth are to become the custodians of our society and the trustees of prosperity for future generations, then it is imperative that The Bahamas looks inward and commits to investing in its youth in order for the country to have a viable future. Without the creation of a highly skilled, healthy and empowered youth dedicated to nation building, The Bahamas will fall short of harnessing its potential for national development. Youth have become pessimistic about finding gainful employment and the few that do are significantly under-employed compared to adults who are paid twice as much for the same day’s labour. However, there are a number of other factors present in The Bahamas that have been disrupting the process of positive youth development and this policy seeks to ensure that youth are qualified enough for the employment market with access to micro credit facilities to start their own enterprises.
Consultations held by the National Youth Policy team have determined that young people should play an important role in national development and be provided the opportunity to display these roles in a positive environment. Young people can and should lead the way in economic growth, social enterprise and poverty reduction for The Bahamas. By the same token, however, that same energy and vitality, if left unharnessed or marginalized, can have a negative effect on the social and economic stability of our nation. The recurring sentiment of young people wishing to enter the job/entrepreneurial market are: (a) that they lack confidence in starting their own businesses, (b) the market is oversaturated with small enterprises, (c) lack of micro-finance facilities, (d) no diversity in The Bahamian economy and (e) a national effort to build a “low-entry tourism labour force.” These are all factors hindering the economic growth of our young people. In addition, equal opportunities for positions in the Public Service coupled with very senior adults who do not want to retire to make space for young professionals are harmful to our nation’s growth.
Youth must be at the forefront of budding and new industries and the government must ensure that youth have a role in creating a fair and sustainable economy for The Bahamas. New industries like green & sustainable energy, computer-related services, and manufacturing are ways to create an emerging workforce of youth who are interested in any kind of employment they wish, including self- employment. Young people in The Bahamas are aware that education and training are essential in achieving employability; however, more must be done by stakeholders to broaden the ability for young people to achieve their desired professions. Access to land, office space, financing, training, leadership and management skills, general economic stagnation and the lack of a diversified job market are key barriers in offering an effective response to youth economic issues.
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THE NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY of THE BAHAMAS
TARGET AREAS: RECOMMENDED INTERVENTIONS
Employment 1. Ensure that the private sector takes an active role in the overall job creation and employment of the youth by engaging in entrepreneurial development Social Enterprise supported by the provision of information and transfer of technology and skills;
Young Professionals 2. That the Department of Labour establishes a unit to protect youth from exploitation in the workplace, ensuring that there is full compliance and enforcement of national laws and ILO conventions relating to the employment rights of minors and youth;
3. Encourage networking between the relevant stakeholders and other organizations in order to ensure a coordinated approach to motivating young people in the workplace;
4. Ensure collaborative efforts between the public and private sector to create strategic and profitable opportunities for young professionals;
5. That the government establishes a Young Professionals Development Fund which will be a reservoir of funding for young entrepreneurs and a gateway to markets and business information to facilitate entrepreneurship growth;
6. Provide access to banking opportunities to facilitate financial literacy for young people, particularly in the Family Islands;
7. Mirror and communicate best practices of employment initiatives from around the Commonwealth;
8. Ensure that there are attractive economic incentives to private investors that support youth entrepreneurship;
9. Collaboration with stakeholders to engage educational institutions and local enterprises to provide better skilled development programmes, training opportunities and placements for at-risk young people;
10. Establish programmes that would identify, monitor and facilitate the return of Bahamian college graduates and young professionals living overseas through the creation of opportunities, incentives, job placement and housing assistance;
11. The systematic and continuous training, through private sector partnerships, of young people wishing to open small and medium sized enterprises, especially in the sectors of agriculture, tourism and natural resource production;
12. Establishment of a National Young Professional Database to facilitate a registry of skilled young people as a means to market and increase awareness of the trained and able young people in The Bahamas;
13. Creation of a secured online database where young people can upload pre- approved resumes, references, certifications and qualifications that would allow potential employers and human resource managers to have daily access to a pool of young people seeking employment;
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14. Meaningful tax reductions for start-ups of small and medium sized enterprises by young people, especially in urban communities;
15. Formation of a Youth Labour Market to facilitate the monitoring, evaluation and regulation of employment trends impacting young people, particularly because of their population ratio and the large number of high school graduates seeking to enter the labour force each year;
16. Provide young people with timely and adequate information within the school system, supported by specialised career counsellors to help them decide and pursue their desired careers;
17. Reduce the stigma surrounding unconventional careers for young people;
18. More diversified scholarship offerings that cater to young people seeking technical and vocational training for their education and advance studies in The Bahamas and abroad;
19. Youth programmes, particularly on the Family Islands and within urban communities, that ensure professional and financial training for young people who are looking for jobs;
20. Specialised financial aid and funding for young people wishing to start social enterprises like NGOs, community programmes, civic organisations and local partnerships that contribute to social, moral or spiritual value to the community.
21. A committed effort by the government to ensure that youth are equally represented in all ministries and departments of the public service beyond the limited entry-level positions, supported by equal opportunities for young professionals to bid on government contracts for consulting or provision of services.
22. That the funding geared towards youth entrepreneurship and employment that are currently in other ministries' line items be deferred to the Ministry of Youth so that the Ministry of Youth can utilize its services to address the 34% youth unemployment rate.
23. The establishment of an ‘On-the-Job Training’ (OJT) programme providing opportunities for Bahamians between the ages of 16-35 to gain practical experience and work-based training within companies in The Bahamas.
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3.4 Health, Sustainable Livelihoods & The Environment
KEY POLICY OBJECTIVE: Promotion of sustainable livelihoods, healthy lifestyles, spiritual and moral values for young people in their living, working, learning and social environments;
Problem Statement:
Young people in The Bahamas face a myriad of challenges when it comes to their sustainable development, including external factors like HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), drugs and substance abuse, poor access to health services, poor nutrition and environmental factors. The 2008 report from the National Advisory Council on Crime placed great emphasis on a number of these challenges when it detailed several recommendations, including the strengthening and development of community centres and after school programmes, the promotion of positive lifestyles and culture for young people, supporting and expanding existing parental training and improving and making mandatory the family life education studies programme in all schools.
Moreover, recent trends suggest that poverty is becoming a major issue when it comes to youth issues in The Bahamas. One of the contributing factors to the increasing population of underprivileged youth is the fact that a large percentage of youth in The Bahamas are either unemployed or significantly underemployed because they lack the necessary skill sets and prerequisites to find gainful employment. This is coupled with the growing number of young people who have to work to help supplement the family's’ income or, in some cases, become the primary financial provider, thereby becoming unable to provide for themselves. Some parents have resorted to using their youth as “agents of begging” in order for the family to survive, and the response from relevant government agencies appears inadequately slow. In the modern Commonwealth, poverty, crime and AIDS all overwhelmingly carry the face of youth.
During consultations with youth, the National Youth Policy Team also found itself inundated with information about “family/parenting” issues and its impact upon youth. Young people find themselves in homes that are abusive, with little if any moral support, no positive male presence and parents to whom they simply cannot relate. The protection of young people from degrading treatment within the family unit is deficient and attached to that is the perception that relevant government agencies are hesitant to intervene because the system cannot absorb the burden of caring for youth who are victims within their own homes. The landmark 2007 Children Protection Act which overcalled regulations of children’s and youth’s rights has yet to see full implementation and many of its provisions remain mere words without any enforcement.
In The Bahamas, another barrier to sustainable youth development is the emergent number of disabled youth who are not being fully engaged in society. This policy seeks to take action on behalf of this category of young people to ensure that they have the opportunity to become fully contributing members of society through equal access to education, employment, healthcare facilities and youth programmes so that disabled youth become visible, productive members of society. In addition, if we are to ensure the holistic development of our young people, we must also ensure that our youth become active participants in the care and protection of the environment - as it relates to their own psycho-physical state and protection.
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TARGET AREAS: RECOMMENDED INTERVENTIONS:
Health 1. Formalize the referral processes to include counselling, rehabilitation and care services provided by the government and NGO’s for youth living with STI’s and HIV/AIDS;
2. Eliminate the discrimination in the placement of youth living with STI’s and HIV/AIDS;
3. Increase awareness in the fight against STI’s and HIV/AIDS to make certain that the number of infections among our youth continues to decrease;
4. Strengthen Sex Health Education within the school curriculum.;
5. Ensure that both Abstinence and Safe-Sex campaigns receive equal funding and support from youth stakeholders;
6. Revisit the age of consent for reproductive health services inclusive of HIV/AIDS health, testing, and counselling to increase youth access to services;
7. Government to consider the provision of youth insurance policies and the allocation of funding for Emergency Air Ambulance evacuation services for youth on the Family Islands;
8. The implementation of policies that remove impediments and waiver the costs associated with health care for youth who have no insurance or cannot afford medical treatment;
9. Public education and more preventative measures to assist parents with hereditary and chronic illnesses that may be passed onto their children, inclusive of more funding for the Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases programme;
10. Revision and enforcement of school dietary programmes supported by training for lunch vendors to encourage more healthy meals being added to their menus, inclusive of enforcement and follow up by the nutrition department of the Ministry of Health;
11. Improved medical facilities for young people to ensure that youth have access to health care, noting that a number of family islands are without resident medical doctors, dentists, and optometrists.
12. Enact policies and laws regulating alcohol and drug abuse, addressing drug traffickers who target young people;
13. Establish a National Youth Substance Abuse Treatment & Rehabilitation Centre;
14. Implement and strengthen programmes to disseminate information to schools, families, youth organizations and young people about the dangers of substance abuse;
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Family 1. National parenting programmes to assist parents wanting help with best practices for child rearing, parent-to-child relations and disciplinary practices;
2. National programmes in partnership with the Department of Social Services and the private sector to improve the quality of life for young people;
3. National programmes aimed at rebuilding broken family structures, reconnecting children with their estranged parents and enforcing child care laws to hold parents accountable for their children;
4. Young adulthood transitioning programmes to assist students leaving high school with independent living and financial management skills;
5. Design programmes aimed at increasing the level of solidarity, tolerance and equal opportunities for the treatment of young people within their homes;
6. Establishment of a network of trained counsellors (locally and nationally) to offer help on all issues related to the rights, protections and quality of life for youth within the framework of their families;
7. Aggressive national awareness campaign to protect children from child pornography, sexual abuse, paedophilia and child trafficking.
8. Develop a national programme that focuses on youth in parentless homes and youth with social-problems, educational challenges, disruptive behaviours and youth with special needs that will include: ▪ The de-institutionalization of youth, ▪ Building new relationships between educators and youth, ▪ Clinical counselling, ▪ Alternative forms of parenting, and ▪ National support for parents with youth who require specialised methods of learning/interaction
Poverty/Housing 1. Establish programmes aimed at totally eradicating all forms of child homelessness in The Bahamas;
2. The creation of distribution centres for less fortunate youth to receive shelter, clothing and food assistance;
3. The creation of community centres for young people to host meetings, forums and various productions;
4. Eliminate the financial dependence of young professionals on family or third parties by creating more job opportunities for young professionals that accommodate them at their degree level and/or experience;
5. Facilitate the process for young professionals in the ease of acquiring
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one’s own home supported by various meaningful incentives for first time home owners under the age of 35 years;
6. That 22% of all government low-cost homes constructed under the government’s housing programme be reserved for young people under the age of 35 years who meet the basic requirements of The Bahamas Mortgage Corporation;
7. Creating programmes to build independence and develop a sense of creating one’s own financial independence;
8. Provide programme support for young people taking over their own financial responsibilities;
9. Provide access to social apartment living for young people of legal age with a minimum monthly rent and other forms of subsidized solutions to help the housing problems of young people with low incomes;
10. Strengthening legislative conditions for renting apartments/houses to ensure that young people are able to establish their own decent standard of living and to spare them from the struggle of financial hardships;
11. Creation of a National Youth Land Trust Corporation, where the government will set aside Crown Land to be purchased by young people under the age of 35 years at privileged interest rates with favourable repayment conditions for young people, particularly for young people in the process of obtaining further education, young married couples, single young parents, and young professionals.
Sustainable 1. Access to leisure programmes such as games, sports, cultural events, Environments entertainment and community service will be ensured as it is key in preventing social ills such as crime, drug abuse and other negatives;
2. Government to provide recreational community centres to enhance youth development and to create ‘safe’ spaces for youth to congregate and associate;
3. That the government commits to creating Green Spaces in every community for youth socialization and community bonding;
4. To ensure road safety for young people commuting on public transportation and roads;
5. Improved infrastructure in the Family Islands to improve the quality of life for young people on their islands;
6. To increase the role of young people in the implementation of sustainable development frameworks for the management and utilization of environmental resources for the benefit of future Bahamians;
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7. Incorporate environmental education and issues of sustainable development into the national education curriculum;
8. That along with the requirement of EIA (Environmental Impact Assessments) with regards to large development projects, the government also adopts SIAs (Social Impact Assessments) to ensure that future environments are preserved and protected for young people;
9. Introduce extra-curricular activities in the school and community dealing with the protection of the natural environment.
10. That the government commits to placing viewing and listening age restrictions on films and radio media.
Sports 1. More training opportunities and capacity-building exchanges for local coaches to ensure that young athletes receive quality coaching compatible with international sporting standards;
2. Equal access and opportunities for youth athletes to ensure that Family Islands have the same access to athletic scholarships;
3. Improve the quality of sports infrastructure, particularly in the Family Islands;
4. Facilitate increased cooperation between Government, schools and sporting associations to ensure youth participation;
5. Re-introduction of ‘The Bahamas Games’ as a means to increase sporting activities for young Bahamians to display their athletic abilities;
6. Increased participation in Pan Commonwealth Games;
7. Continuous replacement of sports equipment for schools, youth centres and youth organisations, supported by partnerships between the government and the private sector to assist with financing;
8. The inclusion of youth in the decision-making process of all national sporting events, including their participation on national sporting councils/bodies and their inclusion in the management of The National Sports Authority.
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3.5 Youth in Conflict with the Law, Youth Justice & Safety
3.5 KEY POLICY OBJECTIVE :
Legislative development and enforcement that will promote fundamental human rights, the rights of youth, and juvenile justice reform through meaningful access to justice for young people;
3.5.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT:
For decades, young people have been impacted by violence while our current legislative and judicial processes continues to inadequately address and enforce laws regarding the fundamental rights, safety and protection of our youth. Youth in The Bahamas are experiencing conflicts with the law on many levels and their overwhelming involvement in negative activities highlights the harsh reality that young people constitute the most criminally active segment of our population. This fact, especially in urban communities, has produced a generation that sees violent and illegal activities as legitimate means of conflict resolution. Young people are often the most affected by crime and violence, whether as perpetrators or victims. According to the Royal Bahamas Police Force, 70% of local murders are committed by young men between the ages of 18 and 35 - and their victims are usually other young men. The causes include domestic violence, gang warfare, and drug disputes. According to the Most Wanted 2012 list posted by the Royal Bahamas Police Force, 65% of “wanted suspects” were under the age of 27 and were all male. Minister of State for National Security Keith Bell stated to the media in 2013 that “the average offender was between the ages of 18-34, but today, he is between 15-20 years.” In 2014, he revealed that thirty (30) teenage males, between 16-19 years, were accused of serious crimes like murder and rape and were on remand at Her Majesty’s Prisons with adult prisoners. He added that nine teens were on remand in relation to murder, four in relation to attempted murder, 14 were accused of armed robbery and one was charged with rape. The remaining two were charged with lesser crimes, yet still housed with adult prisoners.
While the amounts of young people in conflict with the law are continuing to rise, there is an urgent need to ensure that the judicial system responds appropriately to young people - with rehabilitation being the primary goal. The present practice of remanding young people into juvenile detention centres, and in some cases, Her Majesty’s Prison during their formative years often results in a negative social and psychological impact. However, psychological healthcare is limited in The Bahamas and social rehabilitation programmes are almost non-existent. It is important to increase efforts to minimize this negative impact and develop alternative ways of dealing with young people who find themselves in conflict with the law. During consultations, a considerable number of young people have expressed that they do not feel protected by the police or court system and view these organisations unfavourably. Moreover, many young people – particularly those from minority and marginalized communities – lack full awareness of their rights with respect to the law and/or do not always receive equal treatment in The Bahamas. Haitian-Bahamian youth, for various socio-cultural and economic reasons, have largely been blamed for the rise in youth criminal activity and research has shown that there is a correlation between naturalized youth and crime- a fact that demands specific action to address the problems faced by this subgroup of youth. The idea of ‘Juvenile Justice’ has often been used to describe the process involving young people who find themselves in conflict with the law but is not often used to recognize a growing category of juveniles who have little or no access to the courts. During the consultations, young people identified encountering issues such as falling victim to scams, personal injury matters, employment disputes, estates and succession matters, inheritances, and other legal issue, but are prevented from seeking judicial remedy due to the absence of a legal-aid in The Bahamas.
Even more recently, there is a growing national call for the strengthening of measures that were designed to ensure the protection of young people from all forms of predators and abusers. Since 2003, there have been a number of high profile criminal matters when young people became victims of heinous crimes and assaults. The government has proposed the enactment of Marco’s Law (a
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Sexual Offenders Registry) to protect young people from sexual predators; however, the law has not been implemented as yet. Persons in authority, educators, religious leaders, relatives and guardians – who are entrusted to protect young people – are often the primary abusers against young people. While some young people fail to report abuse or run from their attacker, the reality is that many do report such matters with a varying degree of responses in addressing the legal, emotional and physical threats that may come about as a result of their attempt to protect themselves through the established channels. This is especially so for young Bahamians who present themselves as “street- wise” or “tough”. Among the main challenges to personal safety that young people in The Bahamas encounter are the following:
. Traffic Safety and Security; . Suicides; . Subsistence and Welfare; . Psychological and mental illnesses; . Health protection; . Judicial protection; . Relationships and dating; . Peer Violence & Bullying; . Domestic Violence; . Alcohol & Drug Abuse; . Sexual Predators; . Exposure to explicit media content; . Use of the Internet and mass media; . Employment and the Labour Market; . Poor, explosive and unproductive home environments; and . Political decisions that negatively impact the future of young people;
This policy seeks to make strides in these areas by ensuring that our young people become the benefactors rather than targets of our legal and justice systems.
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3.5.2.TARGETED AREAS 3.5.3 RECOMMENDED INTERVENTIONS:
▪ Youth in Conflict with the 1. The creation of a National Conflict Resolution Programme (with Law; elements of Alternative Dispute Resolution) to be implemented in our school systems as a part of the curriculum to help engage young ▪ Access to Justice; people in activities that control aggression, deal with conflict and encourage positive self-image;
▪ Safety. 2. Utilization of youth in the promotion of peace, non-violence and reduction of crime campaigns whilst ensuring their optimal participation as agents of crime prevention;
3. Strengthening of legislation to enforce the protection of youth rights;
4. Partnership between the Ministry of Youth, the Simpson Penn Centre for Boys and the Willamae Pratt Centre for Girls to ensure that youth in these institutions are integrated into the programmes and services offered by the Ministry of Youth;
5. Access to leisure programmes such as skill-development, empowerment, sports, recreation and entertainment events as a key to preventing social ills such as crime, drug abuse and other negative behaviour;
6. Ensure that vulnerable youth have equivalent protection under the law, equal opportunities to participate in society and access to justice and safety;
7. Access to clinical counselling services for all youth as a part of national healthcare;
8. Establish partnerships with NGO’s to create programmes that will reintegrate juvenile offenders into society through formal education and life-skills learning;
9. The need for responsible drinking practices for young people that includes a statutorily defined drinking age, penalties for businesses and adults who provide alcohol to young people and a limit on the availability of alcohol;
10. Enforcement of laws preventing cyber-crimes, bullying and ‘sexting’ towards young people;
11. The proper monitoring of content advisory and control mechanisms for TV/Radio content and youth exposure to these mediums;
12. The development of programmes that will engage young people in peaceful, community building initiatives;
13. A transparent, accountable and standardized vetting process of all youth workers to ensure the safety and protection of our youth when entrusted into the care of adults;
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14. Building programmes that nurture stronger relationships between the police and youth;
15. Increased measures to protect youth confidentiality, juvenile records and youth against union industrial actions ;
16. Revising all-age restrictions placed on young people by local legislation with the purpose of creating equal and better opportunities for youth;
17. The formalizing of legislation that requires parental consent for minors under the age of 18 before tattooing and body piercings;
18. Strengthening the efforts of the Department of Social Services to increase protection of young people;
19. Strong legal protection for stateless youth;
20. Stiffer penalties and enforcement of the law for child abuse, neglect and abandonment;
21. Immediate implementation and enforcement of all provisions of The Children Protection Act 2007;
22. The establishment of a National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children by an Act of Parliament charged with investigating and preventing all claims of child abuse, to prevent public and private wrongs against children and, where appropriate, to take action for the enforcement of laws related to the protection of children – similar to that of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
23. More alternative sentencing along with the implementation of a community monitoring programme that tracks and monitors youth offenders rather than placing them in correctional institutions. This programme must also be mandated to provide support to the offender, the community and the home in order to deinstitutionalize the offender by placing them back in the community or in a higher- level care programme.
24. Immediate disbandment of the Juvenile Panel to be replaced by a Family Court structure at the Supreme Court level, with inherent carriage of all matters relating to juveniles;
25. The provision of Legal Aid Services for young people, to assist them with having access to the courts in all matters from criminal to civil, inclusive of legal education classes for youth in the school systems; and
26. The creation of a Youth Justice Policy by the Attorney General’s Office in partnership with the Office of the Judiciary and The Bahamas Bar Association and that primarily focuses on:
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a) The creation of reintegration programming for youth who have come out of the justice system;
b) Support for employment opportunities for youth with criminal records;
c) The creation of a Family Court with a specific focus on youth criminal and civil matters;
d) The incorporation of youth protections in the judicial system;
e) Shifting focus from punishment to rehabilitation for young people;
f) The elimination of the heinous practice of charging juveniles as adults; and
g) Raising the age of criminal responsibility to twelve (12) years of age,
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3.6 Inclusion in the Decision-Making Process & Youth Empowerment
3.6.1 KEY POLICY OBJECTIVE :
The active and on-going participation, inclusion and consultation of young people at all levels of society, including all social and public processes of decision-making;
3.6.2 Problem Statement:
At the 2003 Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting in Gaborone, Botswana, it was decided that “the youth participation area of work has laid the foundation for an analysis of the concepts and ideas behind youth participation.” It was agreed that the challenge for the Minister of Youth is raising the borders of the discussion to a higher level, stressing the need for local impact and coming to the understanding of the usefulness of strategies and tools which would have a significant impact on young people in their countries of residence at the national and local level.
Our youth are not involved in vital decision-making processes; yet, they ought to be - as it is critical to the affirmation of young people’s role in society and the future ideology of what it means to be a Bahamian citizen. In the timely words of Kofi Annan, Seventh Secretary General of the United Nations, “Young people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace. If, however, they are left on society's margins, all of us will be impoverished. Let us ensure that all young people have every opportunity to participate fully in the lives of their societies." This statement reiterates that there is a global responsibility to make young people feel empowered and to ensure that they know the value of their contribution to society.
The magnitude of youth empowerment needs to be understood and acknowledged by national and community leaders and demonstrated by encouraging young people to assume their rightful roles as involved citizens. Along with the knowledge of being a good citizen, young people must be locally empowered in order to be global citizens. Along with this empowerment, their duty as regional citizens must be incorporated as well. Our country is unique in its decision-making processes because we cover over 5000 square miles of numerous islands and cays. Acknowledging this reality, we must create programs that cover our nation’s youth holistically.
3.6.3 Target Areas: 3.6.4 Recommended Interventions:
▪ International 1. Inspire young people to take a participatory role in society; Participation; 2. Eradicate all hindrances of disbarment or exclusion, in order to ▪ National Participation; promote active involvement of the youth in the public life of the country;
▪ Local Participation; 3. Lowering the age required for a Bahamian to hold any political office and in The Bahamas, whether in the lower or upper house, to the age of the majority ; ▪ Empowerment 4. Create outlets for youth involvement, illustrations of ideals and positive reception of these ideals by Administrative Departments of Central and Local Government. (e.g. Youth in Parliament and Local Government Junior Councils);
5. Protection of youth rights to freedom of association;
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6. Youth involvement in the running and decision making processes of government agencies and bodies;
7. Create programs to enlighten youth about their constitutional, legislative and policy rights, freedoms, role in civil society and responsibilities as residents;
8. Youth NGO representatives and youth representation in the work of all government and parliamentary bodies and committees, public institutions and enterprises in the interest of the youth by the creation of a statutory youth-led council structure;
9. Promote and support all initiatives that are tailored to the development of young people in gaining formal or informal employment, volunteer and work attachments and the acquirement of entrepreneurial skills as it is crucial to their empowerment as individuals;
10. That there be a recognised base minimum of youth programmes, initiatives and services available on every Family Island to facilitate access to youth focused programmes that are largely only available on New Providence;
11. More opportunities for young people to represent their country internationally and locally, with equal access to Family Islanders;
12. Establish a transparent and Accountable process for the selection of Youth Representatives at all levels of society;
13. Encourage corporate society to be more involved in the empowerment of young people through sponsorship and promotion of youth programs; and
14. The establishment of a Youth Ombudsman Office and the appointment of an independent Youth Ombudsman, whose primary responsibility will be to deal with complaints regarding the delivery of programmes and services to youth, address circumstances of youthism, and to educate young people on their rights.
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3.7 Streamlining National Youth Development Goals
3.7.1 KEY POLICY OBJECTIVE :
The restructuring of the Ministry responsible for Youth Affairs (MOY) to ensure that youth programmes, services and initiatives are properly streamlined, managed and coordinated at the national level through the MOY, which is solely representative and responsible for youth development.
3.7.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT:
The Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture is the Ministry responsible for Youth Affairs. The Department of Youth has been an addendum to another ministry and as a result, it is overshadowed by Sports & Culture. In fact, it is not a department but a mere government division with responsibility for 22% of the population. This disparity has led the Policy to demand that the Division becomes a Ministry. Ministers who are appointed to this Ministry usually have some background in Sports and Culture; however, there has never been a minister with a youth background or with youth as his primary ministry since its inception. Over the past five (5) years, the Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture has changed hands through over five (5) different Cabinet Ministers; this inconsistency is a great disservice to young people and youth development initiatives.
The budget for the Ministry of Youth is limited, as it is not sufficient to effectively fund the ministry and its many youth organizations and programmes and there is a major lack of representation of the MOY in the Family Islands. There is no specific cabinet agenda for youth development in The Bahamas and the office of a Director of Youth has no security of tenure. As a result, a Director of Youth cannot effectively lobby to the government on behalf of the youth. To this end, a Director of Youth should serve for a minimum of five (5) years. The selection of the Director of Youth is often a decision void of youth participation and/or consultation. As in the case of a presidential search for the College/University of The Bahamas, so too must short-listed candidates engage and interact with youth stakeholders before a final decision is made by the Public Service Commission. Youth are not represented in the ministry and many young people feel that there is no sense of “youth” represented in the staff, the decor, and the services or in the exchanges experienced at the MOY.
There is an absence of a national agency to coordinate the administration of youth affairs that has led to a number of managerial issues. Within the country, we see a lack of research, publications, and data, and, as a result, there is no historical reference or records as to the evolution of young people within the country. The programmes and services produced by the MOY lack international participation and consistency, as they are subject to political will and are recycled and renamed while often lacking any innovation. Policies are poorly coordinated and there is no harmony between the MOY and the present National Youth Advisory Council.
As the Commonwealth has agreed on the competency standards for youth workers, a simple evaluation of staff in the area of youth work reveals that the MOY has become a dumping ground for unwanted public servants from the other ministries. Often, staff members cannot effectively connect with youth and face barriers because of ‘youthism’ and the lack of resources at their disposal. The wisdom of the matured youth worker must be coupled with the brilliance of the youth. The youth are strong but will often require the guidance of experienced youth workers. One of the difficulties inherent in youth work is the fact that few persons come to the task with training for the job, according to a study conducted by the Commonwealth Youth Programme. In order to work with young people and to enjoy some of the measures of success, there are some essential tools that are required by youth workers. Youth work is a professional area. Just as the physician knows the use of his stethoscope and the carpenter utilizes various tools in his tool-box, the youth worker utilizes the tools that are effective for youth work. Training is a must for youth workers. Most people are introduced to youth work because they have a desire to help young people and have become self- proclaimed experts or youth specialists. However, without the skills or training, the untrained can often do more damage to young people than good.
The following have been identified as key areas in need of urgent development :
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3.7.3 Target Areas: 3.7.4 Recommended Interventions:
. International 1. Immediate and full compliance by the MOY with all international treaties, exchanges agreements, communiqués and declarations that the government has signed onto that relate to or impact youth; . Youth Resource Aspect 2. The Ministry of Youth should be a separate and self-standing ministry;
. Family Island 3. The Minister of Youth should be a person with legitimate experience in youth development work;
4. The budget for the MOY should be increased to reflect the importance of the Ministry as it relates to the development and empowerment of youth who are the future nation builders of this country;
5. The staff at the MOY should be representative of Youth and specially trained persons that can connect with Youth;
6. The Department of Youth should represent an environment of youth with up-to-date facilities and resources at the youth officer’s disposal;
7. That the MOY will commit to the building and packaging of programmes, not only for local or national implementation, but for export to other countries to ensure that the ministry remains on the cutting edge of youth development in the region;
8. The position of the Director of Youth should be free from any political will so that he has the ability to lobby to the Government on behalf of the youth;
9. The policies and programmes created by the MOY should be guided by the National Youth Policy;
10. An Assistant Youth Director should be assigned specifically to the Family Islands as a division;
11. The complete establishment of Family Island units on each of the major Family Islands that is able to execute specifically within the islands;
12. Programmes and services coordinated by the MOY should be evaluated annually with recommendations for expansion, reduction or termination if proven ineffective. Budgetary constraints should never be the primary factor in considering whether to expand or terminate a youth programme and/or service;
13. The facilitation of the National Centre for Youth Development that will act as the primary research centre which is responsible for keeping accurate historical references, filing and conducting research and creating publications on youth and youth affairs.
14. The development and implementation of a quality Youth Workers Recruitment programme that capitalizes on attracting the best and brightest into the field of youth work.
15. Meaningful investment into a youth-friendly marketing, branding and public relations strategy for the MOY.
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16. Creation of a comprehensive Youth Access Portal that will bridge the gap between young people and youth-related information, particularly in regards to events, programmes, services and opportunities that are provided by youth stakeholders.
17. All youth programmes and services in The Bahamas, including those operated by other government agencies must be regularized by the Ministry responsible for Youth Affairs.
18. Support for the development of a clearly defined national adolescent and youth development research agenda in collaboration with academic institutions, inclusive of but not limited to the College/University of The Bahamas. This will require the Ministry responsible for Youth Affairs to implement a research unit.
19. That the Anglican Diocese, Catholic Diocese, Bahamas National Baptist Convention, Bahamas Christian Council, and inter-faith organisations encourage their youth leaders to complete the National Youth Leadership Certification Programme. Christian youth leaders must be able to minister to the whole man and not just the spiritual component.
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PART 4: SUPPORT FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY
4.1 Government Leadership and Accountability
The policy is designed to guide the Government of The Bahamas, through its Minister with responsibility for Youth Affairs, to ensure that meaningful policies, programmes and services are put into practice that adequately address the needs of young people within The Bahamas. This policy will provide a focused approach to youth development work in our country. The Minister responsible for Youth Affairs will identify the government’s agenda for youth development based on this policy, and the Permanent Secretary will ensure that this political agenda is satisfied. The Director of Youth will rely on the Strategic Action Plan in the execution of those programmes and services identified as satisfying the needs of youth in The Bahamas.
The role of the MOYSC in coordinating stakeholders and government agencies is important for identifying and addressing the challenges that impact young people by providing a unified flow of the National Youth Policy through its various implementing partners.
Coordination at the government level is to be provided through a National Youth Commission, constituted as a statutory body that mandates the inclusion of inter-ministerial representatives at the Under-Secretary level from all government ministries and particularly those that offer services to young people, youth representatives, youth leaders, international partners, NGOs, Civil Society Organisations and other important sectors.
The MOYSC is expected to be the primary vehicle that will facilitate coordinated efforts through the Minister responsible for Youth Affairs as the driving force to build consensus on the overall national strategies to youth development for The Bahamas.
4.2 Cabinet Submission
Cabinet is being asked to approve this National Youth Policy of The Bahamas, followed by the tabling of that approved policy in Parliament no less than one (1) year from the date of Cabinet Approval. Further, Cabinet is being asked to approve funding for the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of this policy.
4.3 Parliamentary Consideration
Subject to Cabinet approval the presentation of the National Youth Policy to Parliament for consideration, inclusive of the necessary legislative frameworks, is identified by this policy as necessary in order to facilitate a sustainable approach to youth development. Additionally, Parliament will be lobbied to enact a compendium of youth friendly legislations and amendments that will not only smooth the process of implementing the policy, but also bring The Bahamas up-to-par with regional and international partners who are significantly at the forefront and continue to outpace The Bahamas as it relates to youth development.
4.4 Structural, Institutional and Legislative support for the National Youth Policy
In order for this policy to achieve optimum impact, it is necessary that a number of structural, institutional and legislative frameworks are promptly realized and addressed in order to accomplish a phased implementation approach for this policy. This policy mandates awareness campaigns to educate Cabinet members, Members of Parliament, local elected officials, and judicial officers on a variety of issues that impact the development of young people. This policy’s strategy of Youth-friendly legislative support should provide immediate structural and institutional changes that will achieve the following objectives:
▪ The dismantling of failed programmes and services;
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▪ Implementing concerted and comprehensive programmes;
▪ Addressing youth inclusion in the decision-making process;
▪ Addressing public service’s stagnated response to youth issues;
▪ Alleviating government bureaucracy in youth service/programme management; and
▪ Formal recognition, funding and the statutory establishment of Youth bodies like The Bahamas National Youth Council, a National Youth Commission, and a legislative restructuring of the now ‘Division’ of Youth with full, increased budgetary provisions;
4.5 Financing the National Youth Policy
The Bahamas is uniquely challenged because of our GDP (currently listed as $31,400 per capita according to CIA World Factbook 2011 GDP Estimate and listed as “one of the wealthiest Caribbean countries”) which often prohibits us from qualifying for foreign aid grants or international funding from agencies like UNICEF, UNFPA, UNAID, UNDP, UNESCO, CARICOM, Commonwealth Secretariat and other traditional development partners. Further compounding this challenge is the fact that the Division of Youth (MOYSC), youth ministries, and youth-led and youth-serving organisations are typically underfunded, short-staffed, and have limited influence or capacity to address the myriad of complex social challenges impacting upon young people in The Bahamas.
Therefore, for this policy to be successful, the Government of The Bahamas, as the focal agency for the implementation of this policy, will ensure that needed funding, resources, staffing and requirements are made available, particularly from youth-development stakeholders and the national budget. Though the policy is mindful of the limited resources for youth programmes and advocates for the effective coordination of resources where possible, the policy maintains that national budgetary allocation on a regular and sustained basis by the Government of The Bahamas and other YDSs will ensure increased and prioritized commitments for a sustainable path to youth development. These efforts are to be ensured by the appointment of a senior youth officer within the MOYSC to oversee the application, collection, lobbying, assessment and reporting of policy funding from government, private sector and international organizations.
Most youth funding in The Bahamas has been ad-hoc, usually subject to independent cabinet approval, creative budgeting, pooling resources and donations from the private sector. Annual budgets to private youth organisations like Junior Achievement, the Governor General Youth Award Scheme, and to government agencies like the Ministry of Education and Urban Renewal are often claimed as direct investment in youth. This skewed and misleading misrepresentation fails to impact young people ages 16 years to 29 years old. Separate and apart from funding for education and to private youth organisations, The Department of Statistics, in 2010, reported that 58.4% of the population of The Bahamas is under the age of 35 years. To this end, the National Youth Policy claims a percentage of the annual government budget to be invested in youth. That percentage should represent the youth population in The Bahamas and this policy recognises 1% of the annual budget of The Bahamas to be allocated towards youth investments, meaning youth policy, youth research and youth work.
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4.6 Implementation Strategy
The main institution responsible for the implementation of the NYP will be the Ministry responsible for Youth Affairs through the various statutory youth bodies and key youth stakeholders. There are three (3) Phases of Action outlined in the National Youth Policy that are to be implemented over a three year period, commencing 2014. These Phases of Action have been prioritized by the National Youth Policy Team following the drafting and consultation processes and are as follows:
PHASE ONE Cabinet, House of Assembly & Legislation
. Build consensus among Ministry of Youth staff and key youth stakeholders, specifically young people on the strategic direction for youth development in The Bahamas; . Cabinet approval; . Launch of a public relations & communications campaign inclusive of marketing and branding; . Full adoption by the House of Assembly with supporting legislation; . Inclusion in Annual National Budget; . Restructured Ministry of Youth; . Establishment of the Inter-ministerial Committee with Youth Focal Officers; . Streamlining National Youth Development Goals; and . Creation of a shared Strategic Action Plan (SAP) based on a prioritized list of programmes and services.
PHASE TWO Legislative Framework
. Creation and implementation of the National Institute of Youth Development (NIYD); . Creation and implementation of the National Youth Commission (NYC); . Restructuring of the Bahamas National Youth Council (BNYC); . Creation and implementation of the National Youth Endowment Trust Fund (NYET); and . Reformation of the Juvenile Justice System.
PHASE THREE Programmes & Services
. A review of the number of programmes being offered by the Ministry and its stakeholders for youth in The Bahamas and consensus on the need for a coordinated approach to make the most efficient use of limited resources available to youth; . Development of a prioritized list of all youth programmes & services; . Classification and synchronization of existing programmes for youth; . Revision of the National Youth Parliament; and . Strengthening of existing programmes for youth.
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PART 5: INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR IMPLEMENTATION
5.1 Stakeholders, Partners and Benefactors of the National Youth Policy
The National Youth Policy calls for all stakeholders, partners and benefactors to commit to taking the following necessary steps towards achieving these objectives:
▪ To respect the social, cultural and creative means of expression of our youth and their impact on national development;
▪ To factor in the dimensions of youth development into its operations, functioning and decision- making;
▪ To formulate strategies to integrate the youth perspective into its processes;
▪ To enable youth to meaningfully operate and participate within its decisions-making;
▪ To acknowledge that the successful implementation of this policy heavily depends on the effective collaboration and interaction between stakeholders as called for within this policy;
▪ To adopt best practices of transparency and accountability on behalf of young people in the implementation of this policy;
▪ To participate as equal YDSs who are obligated within their own mandates to provide youth development and empowerment programmes and services for young people, either in alliance with the government or through their own capacities and expertise or in cooperation with CSOs and the Private Sector.
▪ To ensure that the youth of The Bahamas and youth living in The Bahamas always remain the key beneficiaries of this policy.
5.2 Implementing Partners
5.2.1 Minister Responsible for Youth: To represent, advocate and lobby for the interest of young people in The Bahamas at the Cabinet and Parliamentary level, while providing direction and vision to the Ministry responsible for Youth Affairs that will outline the Minister’s agenda for youth development during their term in office.
5.2.2 Director of Youth: To develop, execute and manage the Strategic Action Plan in collaboration with YDSs, Development Partners, the National Centre for Youth Development, and the Bahamas National Youth Council. The Director must be the primary manager of the Department of Youth and the NIYD that are identified as agencies to execute the implementation and successful functioning of the policy.
5.2.3 National Institute of Youth Development: To guide the implementation process supported by research that benefits young people and, where possible, involving youth in research. This is to be achieved by facilitating a multidisciplinary research environment where research and development programs, as well as its role in teaching and research training, is dedicated to enhancing youth life opportunities by delivering innovative and high-impact research data to ensure significant benefits for young people in The Bahamas.
5.2.4 Relevant Government Ministries Agencies: To actively participate in inter-governmental, multi- sectoral and multi-level approaches to developing interventions based on the key objectives of the policy
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5.2.5 The Private Sector: The private sector will contribute resources, funding, training, meaningful opportunities and collaborate with the government and other youth development stakeholders to implement the policy.
5.2.6 Civil Society: Civil society organisations will be responsible for building partnerships and networks with the Government and other agencies, as well as local communities in the implementation of the SAP.
5.2.7 Development Partners: Will assist with the provision of financial aid, technical support, expertise, training and capacity building opportunities, best practices, networks, materials and resources for the implementation of the SAP of the policy. Their role also includes advocating and lobbying the Government of The Bahamas and other relevant agencies for support and actions to youth development.
5.3 Role of The Government
5.3.1 National Youth Commission: To act as a statutory body empowered to make recommendations and present proposals to the government, advocate and review or recommend legislation impacting youth and to employ staff of the ministry responsible for youth affairs. The Commission will also be empowered as a regulatory body for the MOY, the NIYD, the BNYC and all Youth Organisations receiving grants from the MOY. The Commission will also assist in the implementation of the NYP; review government policies in alignment with the NYP and advocate the objectives of NYP with relevant government organs and institutions. Further, the Commission will promote research and development in the youth sector.
5.3.2 Inter-Ministerial Committee: Recognising that youth development work is not isolated but cross- cutting through all government agencies, the importance of communication as it relates to the number one asset in our country (youth) allows for the discussion of issues and sharing of resources that provides an enabling environment for youth within the system of government and, by extension, the greater community. The role of this committee is to collaborate, discuss, pool-resources and make decisions through their inter-ministerial groupings that are in the best interest of young people at a national level. With the support of the government, this committee will act on the recommendations, utilize resources and achieve the goals set out in the Strategic Action Plan and in the National Youth Policy. The Ministry of Youth will be both the coordinating and executing agency responsible for the sharing of and reporting to the Cabinet on the outcomes and recommendations of his committee. The level of officers representing ministries and departments should be at a rank of Deputy Permanent Secretary and above or Department or Division Heads.
5.3.3 National Youth Service: A compulsory, post-high school, non-punitive programme that seeks to give young people vocational training, instil patriotism and empower youth to help safeguard The Bahamas against social decay. This programme will train youth in tasks of national importance, including service in the armed forces, national reconstruction programmes and disaster response. The programme will supplement the national education system, which is mainly academic, with vocational training and will operate in collaboration with present programmes such as the Governor General’s Youth Award Scheme, the Defence Force Cadets, Volunteer Bahamas and Urban Renewal.
5.4 Role of Youth
5.4.1 The Individual Youth: Young people from all facets of the community, irrespective of their status, are the mandatory benefactors of the services and programmes. Their role includes participation, lobbying and advocating as they deem fit and proper within the law. Recognizing that youth are particularly influenced by their peers, youth in The Bahamas have a unique role under this policy to encourage their counterparts, friends, social circles, schoolmates, siblings and colleagues to get involved in the services and programmes formulated based on this policy.
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5.4.2 Youth Organisations: To actively participate in developing, designing, planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating all youth programmes and the services provided under this policy.
5.4.3 Bahamas National Youth Council: To act as a statutory body empowered to advocate and lobby as the official bargaining national youth body representing all youth organisations from all sectors of society that are registered with the BNYC. The BNYC will be the main umbrella organisation for youth organisations in The Bahamas and will promote cooperation of youth associations and active participation and recognition of young people at all levels of our society.
5.5 Role of Youth Practitioners
5.5.1 Bahamas Youth Development Trust: The focus of the BYDT is a collaborative approach with central and local government, communities, non-government agencies and the private sector in order to work together for the benefit of our young people. The BYDT will ensure that every sector of society has a responsibility to nurture its young people and encourage their growth and development. It will operate as a nonpartisan and apolitical statutory body empowered to develop a comprehensive entrepreneurial support system to assist youth and youth organisations in starting, funding and managing their programmes/services.
5.5.2 Youth Practitioners Association: To bring together a cadre of youth practitioners who share in the vision of youth development for the country based around best practices, understanding the national agenda for youth, the Strategic Action Plan for youth, and having been trained and certified by the National Youth Leaders Certification Programme or having obtained the Diploma or Bachelors in Youth Development Work.
5.6 Role of The Research Community
5.6.1 The Department of Statistics: To increase and broaden its role as the premier national agency in the field of statistics towards establishing reliable and consistent, youth-oriented data for the formulation of policies for national development, planning and administration as it relates to young people. Efforts must be made to streamline and include social groupings, age categories and target audiences that appropriately reflect the sub-populations of youth in The Bahamas.
5.6.2 Academic Institutions: Local academic institutions, including but not limited to the University/College of The Bahamas, must become strategic partners towards driving national development through independent research and scholarly investigation, particularly as it relates to youth. As a developing country, academic institutes need to participate in national discussions with sound objective data that will help foster the building of infrastructure and facilitate the desired intellectual environment for young people to realise their fullest potential.
5.6.3 Independent Researchers: To engage in rigorous research that is crucial to effective work with young people and, increasingly, youth practitioners who rely on independent data in order to be able to develop, review and evidence their work. Independent researchers must be willing to deliver their expertise and guidance to youth practitioners, organisations and services in order to develop best practices and influence infrastructural development as it relates to young people.
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PART 6: MONITORING, REPORTING AND EVALUATING THE NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY
6.1 The National Institute of Youth Development (NIYD)
The NYP is to be supported by a ‘National Institute of Youth Development’ (NIYD), statutorily established by the Government as an independent statutory body. The NIYD will be led by an Independent Executive Director and supported by youth organisations, youth practitioners and researchers whom will be charged with the following:
a) To provide multisectoral coordination among various government and non-governmental agencies to fulfil youth development objectives as outlined in the policy;
b) To provide technical assistance in research, planning, policy development and information dissemination to youth and to youth organisations;
c) To provide technical training that strengthens and expands the many programme efforts already targeting youth;
d) To oversee the revision of the National Youth Policy;
e) To spearhead, along with the MOYSC, the development of a Strategic Action Plan (SAP) for Youth Development based on the key objectives of the policy;
f) Establish monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, implementation costs and identify sources of funding for the policy;
g) Set reasonable benchmarks and timelines for a phased implementation approach of the policy;
h) Conduct regular research, monitoring and evaluations on the Family Islands to ensure that underdeveloped communities are not being excluded as equal benefactors of the policy;
i) To provide technical input and guidance to the MOYSC;
j) To facilitate the involvement of NGOs and international youth organisations in the youth development process;
k) To track risk trends and monitor positive advancements of young people in The Bahamas;
l) To conduct an inventory of youth-led and youth-serving organisations in The Bahamas, including information on their structure, staffing, challenges, services/programmes, impact, funding and SWAT assessments.
6.2 Monitoring and Evaluating
The purpose of the monitoring component of the policy is to ensure compliance in meeting the needs of young people in The Bahamas and to ensure that key stakeholders are meeting the full terms of this policy. The evaluation component of the policy ensures that the services, programmes and strategies of this document are being assessed, measured and reviewed to determine the degree to which stakeholders are realising set goals and targets.
Monitoring and evaluation of this policy is to be conducted at the community, local, island and national levels. Performance indicators are to be identified at the beginning of the implementation of this policy, which is to be used as a clear and concise instrument of assessments to be followed by subsequent studies.
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The NIYD will be the primary agent for the monitoring and evaluation of the policy through the establishment of a data bank that will collect disaggregated data on age, gender, cultural/ethnic group, socio-economic status, and participation, which will be used as indicators on the key objectives of this policy. The NIYD will make the data accessible to government, international organizations, youth organizations, researchers and others in need of statistics for planning, analysis, and awareness-raising to be able to address youth issues.
6.3 Mechanisms for Monitoring and Reporting
The SAP prepared by the DOY in consultation with the NIYD will systematically mark out an organized monitoring approach to be used that must also include the following aspects:
a) The policy will be reviewed periodically at least every three years in order to update actions of key stakeholders, include relevant changes, omit obsolete provisions and reflect or address recent trends of youth;
b) A monitoring log-plan will be developed in response to each action outlined in the SAP involving log management planning, policy process, procedure development, and contact/activity events;
c) Relevant stakeholders will identify individual benchmarks, timeframes and indicators specific to each action;
d) The NYCD will oversee the monitoring and evaluation process through a complement of efficient, trained and experienced staff with clearly defined roles.
e) Family Island Youth Councils in collaboration with youth officers and other Family Island stakeholders will evaluate the policy at the Family Island/community level.
f) Compiled reports are to be made readily available and easily accessible to all relevant stakeholders, principally the MOY, NYC, and the BNYC inclusive of international youth stakeholders.
g) Periodic national youth surveys are to be conducted and published at least every three years.
h) Mid-term policy evaluation procedures and practices are mandatory.
6.4 External Partners to Assist with Monitor and Evaluation
Throughout the years, The Bahamas has signed on to a number of international treaties, policies, agreements and communiqués with various international agencies like the United Nations, Commonwealth Secretariat, CARICOM, and other international summits whose agreements acknowledge the commitment of the Government of The Bahamas towards social issues, particularly those that impact greatly upon young people. This policy recognizes the significant role of those international and external partners in the ‘monitoring and evaluation process’ and outlines the following major themes:
a) External partners are encouraged to participate, observe and examine the ‘Monitoring and Evaluating Processes and Methods’ identified by the NIYD in response to this policy;
b) Efforts to advance and extend the objectives of the policy are to be supported by the adoption of best practices, refining methods, strengthening capacity and expanding ownership of the ‘Monitoring and Evaluation Processes’ in collaboration with external partners;
c) Independent, impartial and objective reporting is expected of external partners to ensure governance and accountability for the development, implementation and progress of this policy; and
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d) Clear ‘Terms of Reference’ are to be outlined when external partners are involved in defining the objective, composition, status, scope, role and responsibility, reporting, channels of communication, and duration of the ‘Monitoring and Evaluation’ work to be done by external partners.
6.4 The Development of an Annual Strategic Action Plan (SAP)
The DOY, in collaboration with the NIYD, is responsible for developing the SAP, which will describe the actions, programmes and services to be implemented by the MOY in order to achieve the key objectives outlined in this policy. The process of selecting possible actions should be guided according to the standards outlined by the recommended strategies of this policy. The following aspects must be considered in preparing the SAP:
a) It is not to be used as a tool to ‘choose’ between actions or as a tool to provide a ‘single’ approach to the complexity of challenges impacting youth;
b) Action strategies should include a range of possible actions which are acceptable to all stakeholders;
c) Where there are sequences of activities, a particular long-term goal should be clearly defined within the plan;
d) The process should be exposed to creative and manageable approaches;
e) Short term actions/decisions should be separated from long-term actions/decisions;
f) Exploration approaches are encouraged in order to diminish reservations or assumptions about the impact of a particular action;
g) There must be openness that a great deal of learning and shared understanding will take place in the work being done.
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PART 7: REFERENCES
7.1 National Youth Policy Operational Chart
NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY
National Bahamas Youth Bahamas National Youth National Institute Youth Practitioners National Youth Endowmenmt for Youth Commission Association Council (Trust ) Fund Development
Ministry of Inter- Youth, Ministerial Local Registered Government Youth Board of Resources & Sports & Committee for Trustees Skills Bank Culture Youth Affairs Junior Councils Organizations
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7.2 Targeted Family Islands & Focus Groups
POLICY RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 2006 – 2012
Islands Visited Islands Conclave reports from MOY Internal (Focus Groups) Youth Delegates Evaluation 1) Abaco X X X 2) Acklins X 3) Andros X X 4) Berry Islands X X 5) Bimini X X 6) Cat Island X 7) Crooked Island X 8) Eleuthera X 9) Exuma X X X 10) Grand Bahama X X X 11) Inagua X X X 12) Long Island X X 13) Mayaguana X X 14) New Providence X X 15) Ragged Island X 16) Rum Cay X 17) San Salvador X X
7.2.1 Special Focus Groups
The following focus groups were held with targeted professionals between the ages of 18 – 35 years:
▪ Religious Organisations & Religious Leaders ▪ Youth Workers & Civic Leader ▪ Young Professionals & Entrepreneurs ▪ Police Cadets (Royal Bahamas Police Force) ▪ Her Majesty’s Prison Officers ▪ Haitian-Bahamian Youth Group ▪ Department of Customs Officers ▪ Family Island Administrators ▪ Family Island Police Officers ▪ Educators & Guidance Counsellors ▪ Social Workers ▪ Parents & Guardians
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7.3 National Youth Policy Consultative Team Members (2007- Present)
DIRECTORS OF YOUTH Present Director TURNQUEST, K. Darron
Past Directors TURNQUEST, Autherine BUTLER, Gregory (Acting) BENEBY, Charles RUSSELL, Janet (Assistant Director – Grand Bahama)
CHAIRMANS SMITH, Tavarrie D January 2009 – June 2009, September 2012 - Present TURNQUEST, K. Darron January 2009 – June 2009 (Co-Chair)
CONSULTANTS SMITH, Tavarrie D September 2012 - Present BENEBY, Charles September 2009 – April 2011
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS/ADVISORS CARICOM (The Caribbean Community) Culture & Community Development – Dr. Hilary Brown JASSY, Malang - Deputy Permanent Secretary (Ministry of Youth & Sports - The Gambia) www.youthpolicy.org (International Editing Team & Policy Advocates)
EDITORS BAKER, Mobafa – International Youth Advisor HUMES, Mark – College of The Bahamas, Professor PRATT, Chet – Independent Youth Editor SIMMONS, Louise – Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture National Youth Partnership Summit – 2012 Delegates National Youth in Parliament – 2013 Youth Parliamentarians National Youth Partnership Summit – 2013 Delegates
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TECHNICAL STAFF AT THE MINISTRY OF YOUTH, SPORTS & CULTURE Senior Youth Officers MILLER, Patty January 2009 - June 2009 SIMMONS, Louise January 2009 - June 2009; September 2012 – Present WILCHOMBE, Monique September 2012 - Present
Technical Officers BETHEL, Ian February 2010 - April 2010 CASH, Nadia September 2012 - Present DARVILLE, John January 2009 – June 2009
TEAM MEMBERS 2007 - 2014 ALEXANDER, Crystal September 2009 – June 2010 ● ARANHA, Andril January 2010 – April 2011, October 2012 – Present ˄∆● ARMBRISTER, Omar January 2009 – June 2009 ARMBRISTER, Sacha November 2007 – February 2008; January 2009 – June 2009 BAIN, CRAIG October 2012 – Present ∆ BOWE, Donovan February 2008 – August 2008; Grand Bahama ● BOWLES, Clayton July 2009 – June 2010 ● BURROWS, Leonardo January 2010 – March 2011 ● CARTWRIGHT, DeAndra January 2010 – April 2011; October 2012 – Present ˄∆● CARTWRIGHT, Deno September 2009 – January 2011; October 2012 – Present ∆● CASH, Nadia September 2009 – April 2011; October 2012 - Present ˄ ∆●
CHEA, Jamarl October 2007 – November 2007, January 2010 – January 2011● CLARE, Chanelle January 2009 – January 2011; October 2012 – June 2014 ˄∆● COLBEY, Marvin June 2014 - Present ∆ DARVILLE, John October 2007 – January 2011 ● GIBSON, Tien January 2010 – January 2011 ● HUYLER, Ambrosine October 2007 – September 2009, October 2012 – Present ˄ ∆● HUYLER, Anastarcia October 2007 – August 2008; October 2012 – Present ∆● INGRAHAM, Amiel July 2009 – June 2010 ● JEAN, Jeanette July 2009 – March 2011, October 2012 – November 2012 ∆● JEAN, Lovy July 2009 – March 2011, October 2012 – November 2012 ∆● JOHNSON, Bodine January 2009 – June 2009 ● LOCHAN-ADDERLEY, Lydia September 2009 – January 2011● MARCELLE, Kari January 2009 – June 2009 ● McCARDY-COLLIE, Kristi September 2009 – January 2011●
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MCKENZIE, Tyson October 2007 – June 2009 ● MORTIMER, Renbert January 2010 – January 2011 ● MORTIMER-NEELY, Sandena October 2007 – November 2007 ● MOSS, Jamal July 2009 – December 2009 PERPALL, Godfrey V. July 2009 – June 2010 ● RAMRATTAN, Rookmin October 2007 – November 2007 ● SARGENT, Aarone July 2009 – December 2009 SMITH, Berylyn February 2008 – August 2008; Grand Bahama ● SMITH, Nevar October 2009 – June 2010 ● SMITH, Tavarrie D. November 2007 – January 2010; September 2011 – Present ˄∆● STURRUP, Ashley September 2009 – June 2010 , June 2012 – August 2012 ● TURNQUEST, K Darron October 2007 – January 2011 ˄∆● WALKER, Mericha January 2009 – June 2009 ● WILDGOOSE, Adrian July 2009 – March 2011● WILSON, George September 2009 – June 2010 ●
Key of Team Member Responsibilities ∆ Policy Drafters ● Facilitators ˄ Executive Members
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7.4 Sources of Law and International Youth Plans
a) Constitution of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas
b) The Child Protection Act, 2007 (Bahamas)
c) Sexual Offense and Domestic Violence Act, 2010 (Bahamas)
d) Employment Act , 2006 (Bahamas)
e) 2007 Proposed National Youth Policy (Bahamas)
f) The World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond (United Nations)
g) Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment ; 2007-2015 (Commonwealth Secretariat),
h) CARICOM Youth Action Development Plan,
i) National Youth Development Agency Act, 2008 (South Africa)
j) The Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development Bill, 2011 (India)
k) The National Youth Development Endowment (Trust) Fund, 2000 (Nigeria)
l) National Youth Council Act, 2000 (Gambia)
m) National Youth Council Act, 2009 (Kenya)
n) National Youth Commission Act ,2009 (Sierra Leone)
o) National Youth Policy 2009, - 2018 (The Gambia)
p) National Youth Policy, 2009-2014, (South Africa)
q) National Youth Policy, 2012-2017, (Liberia)
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7.5 International Treaties, Communiqués, Declarations Impacting Young People
United Nations Convention on Rights of the Child, resolution 44/25 of 20, 1989
2011 - General Assembly Resolution on Policies and Programmes involving Youth, A/RES/66/121
2011 - Outcome document of the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding, A/RES/65/312
2011 - General Assembly Resolution on the Organization of the High-level Meeting on Youth, A/RES/65/267
2011 - Commission for Social Development, 49th Session Resolution on Policies and Programmes involving Youth, E/CN.5/2011/L.4/Rev.1:
2009 - General Assembly Resolution on Policies and programmes involving youth, A/RES/64/130
2009 - General Assembly Resolution on Proclamation of 2010 as International Year of Youth: Dialogue and Mutual Understanding, A/RES/64/134
2009-Commission for Social Development, 47th Session Resolution 47/1: Policies and programmes involving youth, included in the Report on the 47th Session to the Economic and Social Council (E/2009/26 & E/CN.5/2009/9)
2008 - Final Communiqué. Commonwealth Youth Forum 6 - 2007 (pp. 1-14). Entebbe, Uganda: Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council. Commonwealth Secretariat.
2007 - General Assembly Resolution on Policies and programmes involving youth: youth in the global economy – promoting youth participation in social and economic development (contains the Supplement to the World Programme of Action for Youth A/RES/62/126)
Commission for Social Development, 45th Session Resolution on Youth 45/2 included in the Report on the 45th Session to the Economic and Social Council (E/2007/26 & E/CN.5/2007/8)
2006 - Commission for Social Development, 44th Session Resolution on Youth Employment 2006/15 (Ref. E/2006/26)
2006 - Final Communiqué CYF 5. Commonwealth Youth Forum 5 - November 2005. Malta: Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council. Commonwealth Secretariat.
2005 - General Assembly Resolution on Policies and Programmes Involving Youth (A/RES/60/2)
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2004 - General Assembly Resolution on tenth anniversary of WPAY (A/RES/59/148)
2003 - General Assembly resolution on Policies and Programmes Involving Youth (A/RES/58/133)
2001 - General Assembly resolution on Promoting Youth Employment (A/RES/57/165)
2001 - General Assembly resolution on Policies and Programmes Involving Youth (A/RES/56/117)
1999 - General Assembly resolution on Policies and Programmes Involving Youth (A/RES/54/120)
1997 - General Assembly resolution on Policies and Programmes Involving Youth (A/RES/52/83)
1995 - General Assembly Resolution on the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond (A/RES/50/81)
1995 - The Copenhagen Declaration. The World Summit for Social Development (pp. 13, 22,60, 61 - 63, 65, 72-83). Denmark: United Nations.
1985 - General Assembly Resolution on the International Youth Year (A/RES/40/14)
1984 - General Assembly Resolution on the International Youth Year: Participation, Development, Peace (A/RES/39/22)
1983 - General Assembly Resolution on the International Youth Year: Participation, Development, Peace (A/RES/38/22)
1982 - General Assembly Resolution on the International Youth Year: Participation, Development, Peace (A/RES/37/48)
1981 - General Assembly Resolution on the International Youth Year: Participation, Development, Peace (A/RES/36/28)
1980 - General Assembly Resolution on the International Youth Year: Participation, Development, Peace (A/RES/35/126)
1979 - General Assembly Resolution on the International Youth Year (A/RES/34/151)
1978 - General Assembly Resolution on the International Youth Year (A/RES/33/7)
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7.6 References
Affairs, C. C. (January 2010). Eyeing The Future: Time to Investing in Youth NOW for Tomorrows Future. Georgetown, Guyana: CARICOM.
Beneby, C. (2011). Discussion Paper: The National Youth Policy of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Nassau, The Bahamas: Independent.
CARICOM, M. o. (2012). National Consultation on Crime Prevention & Social Development. Nassau, The Bahamas: Government of The Bahamas.
Development, C. C. (October 1993 - July 1994). Consultative Committee on National Youth Development Report. Nassau, The Bahamas: Government Printing.
Bostwick II, Sen. John. H. (2011). Bahamas 2020 Vision: A 20 Year National Development of Governance Plan for The Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Nassau, The Bahamas.
Lorraine Blank, P. (January 2007). The Situation of Youth in The Bahamas - Final Report. Nassau, The Bahamas: The Government of The Bahamas and the Inter-American Development Bank.
Marie Carroll, W. Fielding. (November 2011). Rearing Violence in The Bahamian Homes. Violence Symposium 2011 (pp. 1-38). Nassau, The Bahamas: School of Social Sciences, The College of The Bahamas.
Moxey-Ingraham, T. H. (1995). The Bahamas Statement at The World Summit for Social Development. Government of The Bahamas.
Secretariat, Commonwealth. (2007). Report of The 6th Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting - May 2006. Nassau, The Bahamas: Commonwealth Secretariat.
Secretariat, Commonwealth. (June 2004). 5th Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting - May 2003. 5th CYMM Report (pp. 1-24). Gaborone, Botswana: Commonwealth Secretariat.
Tobago, Trinidad (November 2003). A Three Year Strategic Implementation Plan for The National Youth Development Policy. Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs of The Republic of Trinidad & Tobago.
Young, J. T. (August 2004). Involving Parents as Partner for Youth Development. A collaboration of Cornell University, University of Rochester and the New York State Centre for School Safety, 1-4.
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