Empowering Youth It should be understood that the future development of any nation depends on harnessing the creative and productive potential of its youth. This can only happen if we empower young people. Any society with a high percentage of disillusioned youth is steering towards serious long-term social problems. It is therefore imperative that those who have the primary task of managing and governing our societies should not wait for a catastrophic collapse before embarking on any programme of policies that can impact young people positively. It is no longer front-page news that young people from so-called socially and economically challenged backgrounds are involved in criminal activities. The evidence is clear: the impact of crime on the development of Caribbean economies is significant. According to the Caribbean Human Development Report 2012, crime has become one of the main challenges that threaten the economies and the quality of life in Caribbean countries. The Report, however, suggests that with appropriate social and economic programmes that target young people, high levels of violence can be stemmed. What must happen is that, our homes, schools, and communities should provide young people with alternatives to crime and violence. The experiences of Caribbean youth are not unique. Youth in the UK, for example, especially hose of Caribbean descent, face similar challenges of high unemployment, high school exclusion, nd drug use, made worse by inequality, racial discrimination, and poverty. To these must be dded very high rates of deadly lifestyle diseases, as compared to their fellows in the Caribbean.
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