Call To Action on Youth Poverty 2023
RATIFIED Call To Action from UNDP’s Ready Set Great Youth Conference, 17 November 2023. The draft was circulated to delegates via email for final comments & inputs in November 2023. No further comments having been submitted before deadline of 29 Nov 2023, the Call To Action was therefore declared as the official position of the 2023 Ready Set Great delegates.
Download Call to Action in PDF
A. Preamble
- We the delegates of Ready Set Great 2023 recognize that youth change-makers are a necessary catalyst for the positive transformation of the Jamaican society. Forums such as Ready Set Great provide an avenue for the amplification of our voice and participation in decision making processes which seek to address serious multi-dimensional development challenges including poverty, crime and violence, and climate change.
- We therefore signal our intention to support a multidimensional approach to youth poverty anchored on the multidimensional vision for sustainable development articulated in Vision 2030, and hereby call for the following actions in collaboration with youth and youth groups:
1. Goal 1: Youth empowered to achieve their fullest potential.
1.1 Outcome 1: A healthy and stable population
1.1.1 Increase financial and human resource capacities of schools to tackle mental health issues. Relatedly, strengthen the capacity of Parents Teachers Associations to bolster the support provided by teachers.
1.1.2 Increase the availability of, and access to youth focused/centered health care facilities and services.
1.1.3 Facilitate proliferation of community-based, youth-centric health and wellness programmes led and championed by communities in partnership with young people.
1.1.4 Bolster efforts directed at reducing stigma and discrimination relating to teenage pregnancy with a focus on training first responders to create a safe and comfortable space for clients.
Recalling recommendations from multiple organizations underlining the need to:
1.1.5 Liaise with government and private sector to provide nutrition screening and education for teachers, students and young people.
1.2 Outcome 2: World Class Education and Training
1.2.1 Ensure greater alignment of local educational course offerings with the demands of the international job market.
1.2.2 Increase the number of scholarships available to teachers who are pursuing studies in areas which will impact Jamaica’s development and accelerate growth.
1.2.3 Increase the number of scholarship opportunities for non-traditional areas of study.
1.2.4 Develop a centralized digital platform for the publication of private and public sector scholarships.
1.2.5 Promote youth entrepreneurship in schools through clubs and school curricula as a viable career option.
1.2.6 Expand the reach of career fairs to underserved communities and rural areas. All career fairs should also direct attention at emerging sectors/jobs and the related academic requirements
1.2.7 Integrate “soft skills” into all educational curricula, for example critical thinking, communication etc.
Recalling previous recommendations from Ready Set Great conferences emphasizing: the need for improvements to the educational sector to include:
1.2.8 Expansion of youth mentorship programmes that offer real opportunities for mentoring and skill development.
1.2.9 Learning opportunities for students with special needs and learning disabilities.
1.2.10 Tertiary level programmes aligned to emerging trends and requirements for sustainability and resilience to future shocks and crises.
1.2.11 Improvement in access to more affordable tertiary education for all.
1.2.12 Acceleration of efforts to promote effective integration of information and communications technologies into formal and informal modes of education.
1.2.13 Increased efforts to address the high rates of youth unemployment/ underemployment, through skills development and vocational training to facilitate the transition from school to work, with emphasis on green jobs related to areas such as renewable energy, eco/agro-tourism; fisheries conservation; sustainable urban and rural planning.
1.3 Outcome 3: Effective Social Protection
1.3.1 Revise selection criteria for the PATH programme to ensure that (1) qualification requirements are less inhibitive and (2) the most vulnerable are not excluded.
2. Goal 2: Youth living in a safe, cohesive, and just society.
2.1 Outcome 5: Security and Safety
2.1.1 Assess the extent to which current school rehabilitation programmes are delivering the intended results.
2.1.2 Expand conflict resolution programmes to tertiary level institutions.
2.1.3 Integrate the current “influencers” in crime and violence campaigns.
2.1.4 Revamp Personal Development programmes at the secondary level to ensure greater effectiveness in preparing young people for the 21st century world.
2.1.5 Provide formal training for educators in conflict resolution.
2.1.6 Develop an anti-bullying policy tailored for all relevant levels of the education sector.
2.1.7 Increase number of national campaigns tackling bullying.
2.1.8 Develop mental health interventions and counselling for perpetrators (bullies)
2.1.9 Increase the number of guidance counsellors in educational institutions. Attention should also be directed at strengthening the capacity of guidance counsellors to respond to the needs of students.
2.1.10 Ensure greater integration of data from universities and other research-based institutions to support policy development.
2.1.11 Construct age-appropriate safe spaces for victims of abuse who are youth and young adults.
2.1.12 Increase the number of campaigns and programmes which seek to build awareness on gender-based violence and the available avenues for assistance.
2.1.13 Develop community-based mentorship programmes for previously incarcerated youths.
2.1.14 Expand the roles of Justices of the Peace to include rehabilitative functions including support services during school suspension and expulsion.
2.2 Recalling recommendations from the 2021 Ready Set Great youth summit on crime and violence for:
2.21 More structured and consistent support from stakeholders in government, private sector and civil society to aid youth groups and organizations with human, technical and financial resources to support community projects that address crime prevention, with emphasis on citizen security and safety, thus contributing to a more peaceful Caribbean society.
2.2.2 The creation of more spaces for youth to meaningfully engage and participate in decision-making that impacts them, especially in relation to youth rights, crime, violence and peacebuilding.
2.2.3 Government and private sector investments in youth advocacy to promote the role of young people as positive agents of change and key partners for peace and prevention of all forms of violence.
Goal 3: Youth accessing the benefits of a prosperous economy.
3.1 Outcome 8: An enabling business environment
3.1.1 Increase access to capital[1] for rural businesses and youth organizations who are seeking to address development challenges including crime and violence, employment etc.
3.1.2 Increase the knowledge and awareness on how to access financing for small businesses.
3.1.3 Develop a “business creation hub” for young entrepreneurs with the related financial incentives and start-up guidelines.
3.1.4 Strengthen capacity develop business plans to enable development in the rural environment.
3.1.5 Strengthen the capacity of female youth entrepreneurs to participate in development processes.
[1] Special focus should be directed at increasing knowledge of how to access funds and reducing barriers to access.
3.2 Outcome 11: A technology enabled society.
3.2.1 Increase the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning processes in all phases of the education sector.
3.2.2 Increase the number of community-based wi-fi programmes particularly in rural and remote areas.
3.2.3 Integrate technology and its uses as a critical component of the education curriculum.
3.3 Recalling recommendations of Ready Set Great 2020 emphasizing: The need for a Digital Economy and Society to include:
3.3.1 The acceleration of the regulatory framework and programmes leading to universal access to the internet and related technology.
3.3.2 Adequate investments in the digital economy as a means of sustaining and expanding economic activity.
3.3.3 Provision of reliable infrastructure to facilitate online transactions and e-commerce.
3.3.4 Closure of the technology gap by improving access to devices and the internet thereby building people’s capabilities and social interactions.
3.3.5 Policies that promote youth-driven innovation, partnerships, and opportunities.
4. Goal 4: Youth contributing to and championing a healthy natural environment.
4.1 Outcome 13: Sustainable Management and Use of Environmental Natural Resources
4.1.1 Strengthen the capacity of youth and youth-serving organisations to conserve and protect the natural environment.
4.1.2 Promote youth participation in island-wide National Tree Planting Initiatives which advocate for the “planting of one tree for every one cut down”.
4.1.3 Development of policies and/or regulations to ensure youth can access agriculture lands for farming and agro-processing.
4.1.4 Promote policies and programmes geared to increase youth participation in the blue and green economies.
4.1.5 Provide opportunities for youth to convert green skills into sustainable economic activities.
4.1.6 Increase knowledge, awareness and skills among youth to utilize Nature Based Solutions to improve conservation efforts for both intrinsic and utilitarian values.
4.1.7 Ensure inclusive design and implementation of nature-based interventions that facilitate the contributions and participation of youth with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
4.2 Outcome 14: Hazard Risk Reduction and Adaptation to Climate Change
4.2.1 Increase knowledge and awareness of fire safety through the development of public education campaigns and distribution of fire extinguishers and first aid kits.
4.2.2 Create incentives for the development of and youth participation in waste generation markets (recycling etc.)
4.2.3 Increase knowledge and awareness of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and other hazardous substances among young people including disposal protocols and responsible agencies.
4.3 Recalling recommendations of Ready Set Great 2020 for: Increased action to reduce the impacts of shocks and crises to include:
4.3.1 Improving the knowledge and capabilities of vulnerable youth to mitigate and adapt to climate, pandemic and other shocks.
4.3.2 Strengthening partnerships between youth groups and public/private entities on Climate Action
4.3.3 Increased representation of youth on boards and committees geared towards environmental protection/ conservation.
4.3.4 Greater engagement of youth in the design of public campaigns surrounding issues related to pandemics/ climate hazards and other shocks and crises.
5. Measuring the multidimensional nature of Youth Poverty
Recalling ongoing efforts to explore the adoption of a Multidimensional Poverty Index in Jamaica, We call for:
5.1 Implementation of a Multidimensional Poverty Index to measure the multidimensional facets of poverty in support of greater precision in the development of poverty reduction programmes.
5.2 Development of evidence-based youth-centric programmes targeting multidimensional poverty among young people and their families.
6. Conclusion
6.1 This 17th Day of October, commemorated globally as International Day for the Eradication of Poverty we the delegates of Ready Set Great youth conference, also undertake to:
6.1.1 Continue our joint conversations on these issues to assess progress and update our calls for action
6.1.2 Adopt monitoring tools to assess progress on our calls for action.
6.1.3 Develop and implement advocacy, outreach, and communication campaigns.
6.2 Fully committed to supporting the national vision to end extreme poverty and to significantly reduce national poverty, we call for greater focus on matters related to youth poverty and more significant inclusion of youth in addressing this major development challenge.
