Lashley: Seize opportunities to help youth

THERE IS NO CRISIS among our young people, says Minister of Family, Youth and Sport Stephen Lashley.Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Barbados Workers’ Union Youth Arm (BWUYA) Annual Youth Congress at Solidarity House on Friday, Lashley said young people were facing challenges which adults should see as opportunities.“We do have young people in Barbados who continue to make excuses for their current situation, and I want to invite them to remove that dependency from their minds and to take advantage of the many opportunities that are available to them,” he said. “What I say to those young people who lime on the blocks, is that it is time to get up and be a part of the development of Barbados. This notion that somebody owes them a lunch or a meal is one that does not have a place, particularly where there are opportunities available . . . so while we will help young people, the important point is that young people have to also start helping themselves,” the minister added.While suggesting that the BWUYA was testimony of “young people still being involved in industrious activity which is contributing to the strategic development of Barbados,” he lamented that some young people were not playing a positive role in society.  To that end, Lashley promised to launch an initiative reaching out to young people, particularly those who “feel disenchanted, those who are on the proverbial block, and those who have opted out”. The one-day congress had as its theme From Worker to Leader: A Transformation of the Mind and examined several topics including youth and unionisation and role models and behaviour.  (BGIS)