It was just the other day I explained the significance of a meaningful vision to my daughter as she prepared for her CXC exams. I told her that a good vision is forward-looking. It is entrenched in long-term goals and provides hope for a better future. I also referred to a few authors, including Jon Gordon who compared a vision to “a North Star that points and moves everyone in the organisation in the right direction. Jeff Dyer and colleagues declared that a vision is a clear statement that tells us “what life will be like when the change has been successful”.
However, I must emphasise that a vision should not be documented and forgotten. Its realisation hinges on frequent and effective communication, as well as action-driven, realistic optimists who understand that they must be present and well-equipped to effect positive change. So, if we envision our youth living purposeful lives and are really serious about tackling youth violence, we must prioritise collecting adequate, quality data and using it like a compass to guide decision-making. The absence of and a lack of appreciation for data hinder our resilience to internal and external shocks.
No longer should we feel comfortable relying on our experiences and engaging in autopilot discourse when we, like some of our close neighbours, are among the most data deprived countries. Director General of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Dr Didacus Jules noted that “the core purpose of data for human development is to help to ensure that no one is left behind”. As our world becomes more data driven, he said: “Our appreciation of data moved from the domain of largely economic to the realm of everyday life and its transformation.”
The absence of data is a serious threat to problem solving as well as personal and national development, and so too is the absence of values and effective parenting — major sources of youth violence. Member of the East Caribbean Baptist Mission (ECBM) Circuit of Churches Jonathan Wehner pointed out that “parents must be present in their children’s lives” catering for their physical and emotional needs.
The 21-year-old UWI student, who’s also the chairman of the United Progressive Party’s youth arm, Progressive Youth, acknowledged that the lack of good parenting skills and the marginalisation of the church in the 21st century are having disastrous consequences.
“I am not proposing that we must force Christianity on every youth. This moral institution and others of the like are essential for reinforcing the moral values that are taught at home,” he said.
And, 27-year-old Christal Percival agrees. The Youth MP for All Saints West argued that values like “respect, empathy, and kindness can help young people develop healthy relationships and avoid violent behaviour. Having role models, and providing opportunities for young people to engage in positive activities can also decrease youth violence.”
Jonathan highlighted the empowering role of education in positive youth development. With 12 grade ones and 11 distinctions, the St Phillip’s South Youth MP understands appealed for equitable treatment of educational institutions to empower all students, including at-risk youth who experience academic challenges. He suggested that the government must pay keen attention to the foundational levels and furnish schools with the resources they need to combat student disengagement and dropout.
Christal, who holds a Bachelor’s in Tourism Management, emphasised that “resources are essential to addressing youth violence. Access to proper education, job training and community-based programmes provides support and guidance for our youths especially for our at-risk youths”.
The youth President of the Salvation Army All Saints Corps Youth Department indicated that it’s going to take an integrated and multifaceted approach to tackle this social scourge.
She told YouthZone that “we have to take a deeper look at the factors that cause youth violence, such as poverty,” which is a complex phenomenon that transcends food insecurity and poor health and is intergenerational. Poverty is also synonymous with a lack of representation in governance, socio- economic marginalisation, low levels of education, and absence of values.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) noted that chronic poverty is harder to escape overall. However, it suggested that “significant, structural interventions, such as transformations in the way public services are offered, are often required to help people cope with or exit successfully from chronic poverty”.
Tackling youth violence also means that we will have to put mental health under the microscope.
“We can sit in a room reading a newspaper and be unaware that our child sits in a corner, depressed,” said author Raymond Calabrese. Therefore, we need to create awareness and generate urgency to “unlearn” past ways of acting and behaving.
We also need to arm ourselves with the right attitude, knowledge and skills that solidify change. It involves educating and re-educating the masses, as well as prioritising developmental assets for young people that bolster the power of restraint and peaceful conflict resolution.
