THE MINISTER FOR YOUTH AND SPORTS HONOURABLE PARVEEN KUMAR BALA
Thursday, 29th October, 2020, 9:00AM
• Regional Representative for UNICEF
• Youth Participants
• Representatives from Womens Crisis Centre
• Representatives from Empower Pacific
• Fiji Police Force-Drug Unit
• Members of the Media
• Ladies and Gentlemen
Bula Vinaka and a very goodmorning to you all,
It is an honour to be here with you all today to officially open the two-day workshop on ‘Youth Leadership’.
At the outset, I wish to express my appreciation to our partner United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for funding this workshop. I am very pleased at the organization of this workshop which will undoubtedly provide our youth participants with knowledge and understanding on many ranging topics.
Similar workshops have been planned with UNICEF for the Northern, Western and Eastern Divisions.
As I perused the workshop program I realized that the aim and objective of the training camp are much similar to the Ministry’s mission and vision.
My Ministry also has a strong belief in preparing young leaders to understand their proactive roles in different areas of life.
This is achieved through our non-formal education and sports program. Many youths have been able to find proper footing in the society through the Ministry’s empowerment and training program and a large number have successfully found permanent employment.
Many have also become leaders and have organized and initiated multiple projects in their communities.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Youth Leadership workshop similarly aims to prepare you young leaders to understand your roles in the electoral process and to develop competencies to become role models of integrity.
The workshop I believe will lead to the setting up of peer youth leaders network to inculcate civic leadership skills to other youths in schools, neighborhood and youth groups.
The true demonstration of your effectiveness as youth leaders will be the practical things you get done and the positive tangible things that you achieve through your endeavours.
Become agents of change, become people who do things, change the paradigm, make your communities better and ultimately you will make Fiji better.
Your government and the Ministry of Youth and Sports is unequivocal and resolutely committed to the establishment of a cohesive society.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Fiji has a relatively young population. Youth between the ages of 15-35, makes a third of the nation’s population. The Fijian Government recognizes that the active engagement of youth in sustainable development efforts is central to achieving the global Sustainable Development Goals.
Dear youth participants, you are the new vanguard in our quest to have the youth take their rightful place in our country’s affairs.
I charge you also to rigorously pursue self-development to first develop your own skills, education, work ethic even as you strive to improve the lot of others.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we the Ministry of Youth and Sports have a strong belief that youths can bring about positive social changes in communities.
Our Ministry has continued to support new and existing youth groups and realized that there is further need to inculcate leadership skills along with other organizational skills among youths if we are to achieve a vibrant and a dynamic youth sector.
Ladies and Gentlemen, this two-day workshop led by my ministry and facilitated by the Fiji Youth Council in partnership with UNICEF Pacific is to create awareness and guide youth in addressing relevant socio-economic issues faced by them during this trying time.
We had also provided an opportunity to youths from all divisions to voice their opinions towards the national youth policy review. The policy will reflect issues that concern our national youth populace. The development of this policy was heavily informed by a series of consultations involving 234 representatives from youth organizations, key Government Ministries and Agencies and NGOs. Consultations were carried out in Suva, Nadi, Labasa, Levuka, Rotuma and Lakeba from November 2019 to February 2020.
Finally, to all participants and facilitators may you all have a wonderful experience at this Youth Leadership workshop.
Do build networks, make new friends and most of all enjoy your time with each other.
With those words I know officially declare this Youth Leadership Workshop.
-Thank You and Vinakavakalevu-