The following address was delivered by Mr. Clemvio Hodge on Monday, October 5, in his capacity as Chief Minister in the National Youth Parliament. There were addresses by other parliamentary members, but Mr. Hodge’s address sets the tone, and his perspectives, for the Youth Parliament.
Kofi Annan, the past United Nations Secretary General, is quoted saying “Young people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace. If, however, they are left on society’s margins, all of us will be impoverished. Let us ensure that all young people have every opportunity to participate fully in the lives of their societies.” End quote
Madam Speaker, I am flooded with gratitude to stand within this honourable house and deliver this speech as Chief Minister of Anguilla’s first National Youth Parliament. I would first like to mention the absence of our First Nominated member, Diaz Mussington, who is currently off island and our Parliamentary Secretary, Brittany Jeffers, who has recently had her first child on what a better day than this.
This special turn of events shows how important it is that we must take the initiative to secure a better future for the generations to come. To ensure that one day, this child and many like him, will have an Anguilla they can be proud of.
As quoted from Og Mandino “Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later. End quote. While our dreams are young, we must put our hands to the plow and turn the fertile soils of Anguilla so the next generation will be able to harvest.
This leads me to say, Madam Speaker, where there is no vision, we perish…(pause) but we have a vision, it is clear and straight forward and I quote “Young people empowered and engaged as transformational leaders and strategic partners in Anguilla’s governance and development ethos.” End quote
This is a mutually inclusive partnership between our youth and our policy makers. This partnership is built on a foundation of respect with an aim for success. This is civic engagement in its ultimate form and we are happy that our policymakers have embraced it.
Madam Speaker, Kofi Annan is also known to have said “No one is born a good citizen; no nation is born a democracy. Rather, both are processes that continue to evolve over a lifetime. Young people must be included from birth. A society that cuts off from its youth severs its lifeline.” End quote.
In understanding the importance of this National Youth Parliament, it is imperative to note the drive which has brought myself and others like me to this Honourable House. It is to represent the various conflicting issues all youth, residing in Anguilla and even abroad, are facing and to present our policy makers with recommendations to prevent the severance of our lifeline, our youth, who Kofi Annan explicitly referred to. To represent those who are afraid, educate those who don’t understand and increase civic engagement among all youth as we are “transformational leaders and strategic partners” and our positions musts be considered.
This is our time and we have a full understanding of how we can achieve our goal. Our words cannot be taken lightly and our ability to interpret issues and create viable solutions must be sought for by all decision makers as we, this day, witness the union of futuristic thinking and present day decisions. In this marriage of diversification and nationalism, we are making way for others, who have brighter ideas, to take their rightful place as agents of change in this society. We must reestablish the patriotism our people once exuded and ensure that the rekindled flame remains ever burning within their hearts.
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)