“The future of a country’s youths is a collective responsibility. Youth is a crosscutting subject, therefore we should all work together to ensure that youth issues are dealt with accordingly”.
The Minister for Youth, Sports and Culture, Idith Alexander, made this appeal at the first meeting of the National Youth Policy Forum for the year.
The meeting took place on Friday June 30, 2017 at the ex-National Assembly hall at the National Library.
Besides Minister Alexander, others present at the meeting included the principal secretary (PS) for youth and sports Fabian Palmyre, PS for culture (representative), PS for social affairs Linda William Melanie, PS for employment Jules Baker, special advisor for youth Kevin Vidot, technical advisor for youth and sports Fatoumata Sylla, director general (DG) for programme development, monitoring and evaluation for youth and sports Patrick Nicette, DG policy affairs and international cooperation for youth, sports and culture Begitta Jeannevol, chief executive of the Seychelles National Youth Council (SNYC) Alvin Laurence, as well as commissioner for youth, sports and culture for Ceps (Citizens Engagement Platform Seychelles) Joanna Pouponneau.
The participants present gave an overview of the actions they are undertaking towards youth development. Results of the 2014-2015 National Youth Survey on the well-being and quality of life was presented, where a lively debate ensued about the strategies to be put in place by all stakeholders to address the pertinent matters.
The forum was also informed that another National Youth Survey on the well-being and quality of life will be carried out in 2020. The survey will be used to evaluate the standard of living for young people in the country.
The forum also discussed the evaluation and revision of the youth policy, where it was stressed that the young people’s input would be important. It also stressed that it is important to monitor such youth activities.
The National Youth Policy Forum is a multi-sectorial working group under the leadership of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture with the primary role of making recommendations and providing advice which will spur the implementation of youth policy objectives in priority areas of concern to young people.
Minister Alexander stated that the forum is the ideal direction to drive the youth affairs agenda.
The forum will convene four times a year, having a meeting once every quarter which will generate quarterly reports.
The next National Youth Policy Forum meeting will be held in the next quarter of this year.