Newly elected President of the National Youth Council (NYC) Paul Baron has highlighted three main themes he plans to place focus on as part of his plans for the council.
He will be focusing on the role of the youth in climate resilience, youth employment and human resource development.
Baron was elected President during the NYC general assembly over the weekend at the Newtown Primary School.
“The first will be climate change in our attempt to achieve resilience, to become the first climate change resilient nation,” he told Dominica News Online on Monday. “We see the youth playing a very active role in that, not because of their vulnerability but because there is a larger portion of our population and that represents a reservoir of ideas, creativity and innovation as well.”
Baron continued, “second of which will be the phenomenon of unemployment whereby, firstly to understand the transition from school to work and to prepare young persons to be actively engaged.”
He went on to say that the focus on unemployment is also very closely linked to the third general theme, which is that of human resource development, but more so, continuous education.
“We recognize that you may go to school, you may succeed at academics or you may do well even have certain skills or vocational training, but there are some skills that are not easily marketed because you may find that degrees are homogeneous, which means, a large group of people doing almost the same thing,” Baron explained.
He also plans to go back to the community, to strengthen youth groups at the level of the community and the district so that they have a level of organization, “that we can monitor and evaluate periodically because the strength of NYC really lies in its framework.”
Baron revealed that he is, “ very excited” about being elected President and described it as “a victory” not just for himself but for youth generally.
“It is a very exciting period for me, but I am also very humble,” he said.
Baron’s message to the youth is one of hope.
He said a number of things have returned to normalcy in Dominica after Hurricane Maria, “but that doesn’t mean we are not up against a challenge and we have to appreciate that.”
“We have to first understand that and appreciate it in order for us to move forward,” he noted.
He said young people have to play a very critical role in the country’s development.
“We hope that Maria can drive our young people to take up the mantle to help develop the country, firstly recognizing that we have to be actively engaged and as such being involved in our development, our community and Dominica by extension,” he urged.
Meantime Baron is dispelling the notion held by some that the NYC acts like or appears to be an arm of the Dominica Labour Party (DLP).
“Firstly the youth council is a non-governmental organization which means it does not fall within the confines of the public service or the government,” he remarked.
He explained that the council provides an opportunity to develop the potential within one’s own self to become a better leader, “and if for any reason as it may be perceived that those individuals who are working with the council become prominent leaders at the end of the day I won’t be the first person to cast any doubt on that.”
“Everybody wants to achieve some level of greatness in their lives,” he noted.
The other elected board of the National Youth Council is as follow:
David Thornhill – Chairperson of the General Assembly
Alexander Paul Baron – President
Kerdisha St. Louis – 1st Vice President
Terease Morancie – 2nd Vice President
Daniel Panthier – Publicity Coordinator
Keanu Winston – Asst. Secretary/Treasurer
Yannick Regis – Committee Member 1
Carsim Birmingham – Committee Member 2
This guy is too old to be in youth leadership. At his stage in life he should be a guide for the NYC as opposed to being the president. Give the opportunity to the younger ones who have limited alternatives at leadership.
Wishing the new executive the best. It is our hope that the new council will honestly and genuinely promote the agenda of the young people of Dominica and it will not allow itself to be a vehicle to spread the decisive political agenda that the adult leaders who govern us continue to promote and encourage, including the immediate past president, who is a government senator.
Best wishes and successful implementation of your plans and programmes.
“Youth represents a reservoir of ideas, creativity and innovation…”
How I wish it was so!
Unfortunately all of these attributes, which are there in abundance up to the age of three, are thrashed out by regimented schooling, peer pressure and conformity.
Congratulations to you Comrade. I am certain that you will bring back the relevance to the National Youth Council. As you stated there is need to address certain issues of empirical importance to the Youth. This surely includes education however there has to be an effort to redirect those who have lost hope back on the paths of educational enlightenment….
Good luck in all your endeavors . No age is too young !