Youth leader shoots for republic status driven by ministerial collab
Published:Tuesday | November 28, 2023 | 12:12 AMAinsworth Morris/Staff Reporter
When Dekardiago Nelson rose to give the final address from the party in power at the 14th sitting of the National Youth Parliament of Jamaica on Monday, he placed those opposed to the island’s push to become a republic in the crosshairs.
Nelson, the St Catherine North Eastern representative and youth minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, noted the importance of Jamaicans giving their support to the Constitutional Reform Committee.
“Jamaica stands on the brink of reshaping its history, transitioning from a constitutional monarchy to a democratic republic. However, ... while it is important, Madam Speaker, this undertaking is stretching the viability of the single largest demographic in the population – our youth – they are threatened, disengaged and uninspired,” Nelson said.
But he had a solution in mind.
“I propose a collaboration between the ministries of Legal and Constitutional Affairs and Education and Youth to accelerate the implementation of the civic education curriculum in our secondary institutions with the view to centralise issues on constitutional reform and legal reforms,” he said.
MUST DO IT NOW
Continuing after a change in the Speaker, he added: “We have the opportunity now to implement it, and we must do so with haste. The reality, Mr Speaker, is if the coming referendum is to be successful, youth, you, me and every one of us must do our part.”
Nelson said that by accelerating the incorporation of civic education curriculum in our schools, the Government would have the opportunity to ensure youth become the change agents of democratic participation.
He added that the educational approach could have a significant limitation, in that it only offers students “surface-level comprehension of this societal responsibilities”. He, therefore, called for practical approaches to equip youth with meaningful and proactive civic engagement skills, such as the right to vote.
“I, who have been given as in my social studies class, for example, found the class boring because the teacher only came here to talk about my rights and responsibilities, but did not show me how to practise those rights,” Nelson explained.
He told his fellow youth parliamentarians that the constitutional reform process presents young people with an opportunity to stand in the foreground for constitutional change.
“We are the most connected. We are the most educated and tech-savvy generation. Use us, Mr Speaker, to send the message in every nook and cranny of Jamaica,” he trumpeted, adding that “while classroom discussions are important, they should be complemented by practical experiences”.
Sabrina Barnes, opposition spokesperson on youth and entertainment, immediately followed, noting that “on the subject of constitutional reform, young people are back a di class!”
“I rise before you today after 46-plus years of us moving to a republic. There is an urgent need for a comprehensive constitutional reform, a reinvigorated focus on public education and implementation of measures that will transform Jamaica into a republic,” said Barnes, who represented Manchester Southern.
“With emphasis on the language in which the Constitution is presented, [there is a need for] youth inclusion and youth participation,” she said.
As Jamaica embarks on this journey, she said, it is imperative that citizens transcend the complexities of legal jargon and make the language of the Constitution easily understood by all.