NASSAU, Bahamas – Trinidad and Tobago and other Caribbean countries are proud that one of their own is the new Chairperson of Pan-Commonwealth Youth Caucus (PCYC), the youth wing of the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP), Commonwealth Secretariat, London.
Mobafa Baker, an HIV/AIDS worker for the International Red Cross in Trinidad was elected on Monday, May 22, the first day at the Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting held at the Radisson Cable Beach Hotel.
Mobafa Baker
Mr. Baker said he was excited and yet humbled by his win.
“I am humbled by the experience of it, because it is a great responsibility, and I know I have to make my country, my region and the Commonwealth young people proud. So my expectation is that I will continue to raise issues that affect and are related to youth development,” he said.
The Youth Caucus that Mr. Baker now chairs leads a network of young people which spreads across all 53 countries of the Commonwealth. He will have full speaking rights at Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meetings, and also at planning meetings of the CYP.
The CYP was established by Commonwealth Heads of Government in 1973. According to information on its website, it aims to: “…work towards a society where young men and women are empowered to develop their potential, creativity and skills as productive and dynamic members of their societies and participate fully at every level of decision-making and development, both individually and collectively, promoting Commonwealth values of international co-operation.”
In Mr. Baker feels the CYP is important because young people “are just not leaders of the day, but leaders of tomorrow and represent the development of the Commonwealth.
“Young people actually make up over 50 percent of the Commonwealth, ”Mr. Baker said. “Therefore, our views are views that should be heard, documented and should be carried out.”
It is also his belief that the CYP meetings are important because “youth ministers are able to hear directly from young people and young people hear directly from their Ministers of Youth as well as other technocrats, Directors of Youth on positions related to youth development”.
The Youth Caucus met prior to the Commonwealth Youth Ministers sessions, and had a chance to talk about the same issues that the Ministers will address in their conferences. The new chair of the PCYC is very passionate about the issues that will be dealt with over the couple of days – youth poverty, crime and HIV/AIDS.
He said, “One of the ways we can address HIV/AIDS is through information and education. Once we are informed, we are in a better position to be able to do something about it.”
Mr. Baker added that while people are becoming aware of what they need to do to prevent themselves from contracting the disease, they also must be educated that according to statistics there are over 350,000 persons living with HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean.
In addition, he said that something must be done to reduce the levels of stigma and discrimination that persons with HIV/AIDS face as well as give them opportunities to follow some of their dreams.
In regards to crime and violence, Mr. Baker believes that they are generally the off spin of other things.
“Poverty speaks to crime and violence, because people become involved in crime and violence by way of frustration. Some people generally are deviant and how we deal with that is one thing, but there are a lot of other people who take it as a last resort to try to handle issues that they are dealing with,” he said. “Those are the things we are trying to bring forward at this meeting. Also crime and violence as it affects young people, because we are not only perpetrators – we are also victims of crime and violence and how we are allowed to respond to that we need to look at.”
Mr. Baker also has very specific views about unemployment. He said the youth need help transitioning from formal education to the working world, especially if they have to accept jobs that are not commensurate with the qualifications they have.
“For a lot of young people that challenge is a difficult one. It is sometimes frustrating – having a particular ideal in your mind and having to go into a workforce that does not necessarily reflect that,” he said.
He added that the Youth Caucus discussed this very same thing in its meeting on Monday and how universities, colleges and schools have programs that would help make that transition from formal education into the job market and the world of work.
Although some migration is linked to globalization, Mobafa said that if young people are not happy about employment choices in their own countries then they will look elsewhere.
“People are going to where they perceive they are best needed and where they think the opportunities are greatest,” he said. “Governments must provide opportunities within countries for young people to be able to get their space to grow and develop.
“That is perhaps one of the challenges – the ability to provide those spaces for young people to see at home that I have a value, I have a contribution to make to my society and my society is willing to embrace me and allow me to make that contribution.”
