Cayman joined the global celebration of International Youth Day, commemorated with a day-long symposium held at the Intergenerational Hub on Tuesday.
International Youth Day is celebrated annually on 12 Aug. to raise awareness of the challenges and opportunities facing young people around the world. It serves as a platform to promote youth engagement and celebrate their contributions to society, development and peace.
Hosted by the Youth Services Unit in partnership with the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens, the symposium gathered young people from across the island with local businesses and organisations under the theme ‘Empowering Youth for a Sustainable Future’.
Youngsters were engaged with exhibition booths by partner agencies about youth empowerment, as well as youth-focused presentations, fellowship opportunities and interactive activities.
Representatives from the Family Resource Centre were on hand to engage young people with its antibullying campaign, STOOD UP. They encouraged attendees to create a wellbeing checklist, a simple framework that considers mindfulness, movement and connection.
Lions Club First Vice President Ephantus Thumbi said that events like this help empower Cayman’s younger generation.
“One of the global international causes of the Lions Club is the youth, where we focus on supporting young people so they can make positive choices and live healthy and productive lives to become the next generation of service leaders. We also believe the youth are a dynamic force for good,” Thumbi said, adding that youth need strong mentors.
“We also want to keep the youth from the vices that may impact negatively their lives, like drugs … negative peer pressure, so that they become the next leaders not only of tomorrow but starting today.”
Head of Youth Services Unit Melanie Bryan-Waugh said the International Youth Day event was an effort to empower young people, encourage them to make healthy choices and identify talent.
“We’re looking to incorporate those priorities in everything we do. And again, to enhance the support that the ministry, the government and all the youth agencies offer to our young people,” she said.
Among the challenges facing Cayman’s youth, Youth Service Unit Coordinator James Myles said he sees a great deal of hopelessness affecting our youth. He attributed this to a lack of proper investment in the past.
“Today, by all of the efforts shown by all the agencies here, it’s evident that we are ready to invest in young people,” he said. “We [are] trying to touch all areas of youth development here today and to show young people that we are here to invest in them, and that hopelessness should be something of the past as they aim towards a bright future.”
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