Minister of Health, Environment, Youth, Sports and Culture, The Hon Mark Scotland

By Hon Mark Scotland

Today we celebrate Caribbean Youth Day and this year the focus is on mainstreaming our youth in order to ensure their own – and our – future.

Our young people, teenagers and young adults alike, face increased pressures, and the only way we can secure their future, is by making a concerted effort to align government youth policies.

My ministry is committed to our youth’s holistic development. This year we will carry out a review of the National Youth Policy; and the National Youth Commission will implement the updated policies that wil make a difference to the individual and collective lives of our younger residents.

We want to see our young people get involved in every aspect of community life; we want to inspire them to achieve their dreams, and we want to encourage them to take the lead. We are going to put our young people at the heart of the new youth policy, but this time as the solution, rather than the problem,

But, however much we adults commit, we can only achieve success in improving their position if they, the young people of the Cayman Islands, rise to the challenge, do their part, and meet us halfway.

Our world faces multiple interconnected crises – climate change, unemployment, overpopulation, scarce resources. And it is unfortunately true that the adverse effects of these issues fall disproportionately on today’s young people.

And so, Cayman’s young men and women, this is your call to action. I know you have it in you for I have seen your depth of talent and your potential. Now, it is up to you to channel your energy and creativity into securing peace and sustainability for your own generation and for the future.