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In September 2022, I raised questions about the fate of the substantial budget allocated to the President’s Youth Advisory Council (PYAC) in Guyana; with more than a year passing since then, it is disheartening to note that the Council, which has received over $150 million in allocations, is yet to produce any notable initiative; believe me I have searched, not a Facebook page, not a website, and the only news article I could find was from its launch on August 12th 2022 which just happened to be World Youth Day- window dressing just for that day I dare say. What was touted as a promising platform for the youth of Guyana to have their voices heard has regrettably become a symbol of political gimmickry and inaction.
The initial promise of the President’s Youth Advisory Council was to engage the nation’s youth in shaping policy, fostering innovation, and addressing the issues that affect them most. However, the reality on the ground tells a different story. The allocated funds seem to have vanished into a void, or rather if you are to believe the PPP returned to the Government purse two years in a row, and as we are in November it seems as if the money is destined to make another return to the Ministry of Finance as my best efforts to find an initiative that the Council has championed in 2023 has proven futile. Or maybe the PYAC has been working in the shadows and the PPP has been busy with more important matter, failed to highlight the PYAC stellar achievements of what these young people have been doing?
What I do know is that there is no visible impact or outcomes to justify the millions allocate to the PYAC. The result is a profound sense of disappointment among the very demographic the Council was meant to empower. Just recently I spoke with a group of young people and asked if they have ever heard of the President’s Youth Advisory Council and the all said no; you do not want to know what they said when I informed them that this body was given $150 million of their money to represent their interest.
Minister Charles Ramson’s words in 2022 at the launch, urging young people not to view their participation on the council as a political gimmick, now seem ironic and hollow. Young individuals who had pinned their hopes on this initiative are still waiting to see a single tangible outcome. The promises of change and youth involvement have been reduced to nothing more than empty rhetoric; much like many of the things this Government engages in.
I do believe that the root of the problem lies in the priorities of the Government and the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport. While the potential for the President’s Youth Advisory Council to be a force for positive change and youth empowerment is evident, it appears to have been mired in bureaucracy and apathy and has been relegated to just another PPP whitewash PR/political stunt. Rather than being a catalyst for progress, it has become a symbol of how initiatives can be squandered for political expediency and public relations purposes.
The youth of Guyana deserve more than mere window dressing and hollow gestures. The enormous budget allocated to the Council since 2020 represents a significant investment in the future of the country. It is sad to witness this opportunity being squandered, as the council remains a stillbirth initiative, with zero accomplishments to its name that I can find. I am sure, true to form, that the Minister and company after reading this article will run out and try to do some verbal and political gymnastics in an attempt to defend the lack of alacrity or even attribute some obscure project to the work of the Council.
It is time for a critical reevaluation of the priorities of the Government and the commitment to initiatives meant to empower our young people. The President’s Youth Advisory Council must transform from a political gimmick into a genuine platform for change. The youth of Guyana deserve tangible outcomes and a voice that leads to action, not empty promises and financial allocations that seem to vanish into the abyss.
What is interesting is that the President’s Youth Advisory Council serves as a stark reminder of the need for accountability and genuine commitment to the betterment of Guyana’s youth. The time for political grandstanding and empty gestures must come to an end. The youth of Guyana deserve a platform that truly empowers them and contributes to the nation’s progress. It’s time for the Council to deliver on its promises and prove its worth. Anything less is a disservice to the future of Guyana and its young generation.
Yours in National Development
Randolph Critchlow
