In the National Objectives as stipulated in our 2010 Party Program, the National Alliance clearly articulates the goal of the party pertaining to youth to be:
Our young people enjoy opportunities for growth, prosperity and individual achievement.
This goal remains at the forefront of all long and short term plans as the NA is a party which has proven with each opportunity to lead the country that the youth and education are at the forefront. During past tenures, the NA under the leadership of William Marlin has mandated Compulsory Education up to 18 years, purchased land, designed and executed the building of schools, community centers and early child hood centers, an SBO school – now called National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA, sporting facilities, and approved designs for the building of the National Theatre for the Creative & Performing Arts, A New School for Special Education as well as the upgrade of the John Larmonie Center.
As such the National Alliance reiterates its commitment to our youth and to creating even more opportunities for Growth, Prosperity and individual achievement of each and every child and youth on St. Maarten.
Concerns of the youth at this point of our development have been identified as: Youth participation in the process; education meeting their needs in this century, opportunities to find Jobs, opportunities to further their studies, youth crime and rehabilitation, protection of our youth, availability of proper health care, youth programs, sporting facilities and programs, and the safety of the community.
· Improve Youth access to education at all Levels from early childhood to tertiary levels
· Implementation of aspects of the Youth Policy that are in place, but lack the resources (human and financial) to be executed
· Implementation of After School Programs with structured programs run by professionals to:
Ø Increase opportunities for children and youth to develop skills and talent in the area of Sports, the Arts and Culture through programs available at sports facilities, community centers, centers for the development of Creative and Performing Arts and schools during the afternoon
Ø Increase opportunities for academic tutoring, counseling and mentorship by qualified adults and trained youth
Ø Afford youth to be leaders and mentoring to their peers and younger students
Ø Create job opportunities for more youth in this area
· Improve and Increase funding for Youth Entrepreneurship/Incentive programs in close collaboration with the business community and the Small Business Association
· Support the Youth Development Program for the education/rehabilitation of dropouts 16 – 24 years of age in preparation for the job market or tertiary studies
· Promotion of a culture of Youth Volunteerism and mentorship programs in which teens and young adults will teach and mentor younger students in After School Programs
· Collaborate on an Inter-Ministerial level (Justice, Education & Youth, Labour & Social Affairs) to create a policy to secure the Rights of the Child to a Nationality and Education to eliminate the many cases where students are faced with the dilemma of not being able to acquire the Dutch nationality, fit the criteria for Study Financing or be able to work
· Collaborate on an inter-Ministerial level (Justice, Youth, Heath, Social Welfare) to secure the Child’s Rights to protection from child and sexual abuse through the implantation of policies and procedures to the benefit of the victims
· Create Public Awareness of Abuses against children and youth and promote of Culture of intolerance to these acts as well as to breaking the Code of Silence.
· Establish annual Youth Empowering Conferences to allow youth participation in the policy making process
· Promotion of Anti-Bullying, Anti-Violence Campaigns involving Youth as the spokespersons and advocates – Positive Peer Pressure
· Promotion of Literacy Campaigns involving the Youth in the planning and execution
· Promotion of youth groups with goals geared towards assisting their peers to cope and strive to succeed in their given circumstances
· Establish a Youth Detention and Rehabilitation Facility for youth offenders with the aim of bringing them back into society with reduced chances of reoccurrence
Ø Mandatory counseling and retraining of behavior
Ø Training in coping skills to peer pressure
Ø Building self esteem
Ø Mentoring by peers/Mentoring younger offenders
Ø Use of Sports, Recreation and Creative Arts to tap into skills and redirect energy
· Establish a Youth Community Service policy for offenders to teach responsibility, accountability, humility and respect for property and persons
Ø Maintaining of the road side
Ø Collection of garbage
Ø Maintenance of schools, community centers and other building (painting etc.)
Ø Planting of trees and plants
Ø Caring for the elderly
· Develop a Youth Employment Program to allow youth in each districts the opportunity to work on a part-time basis in keeping their district/community clean
· Create a think tank, involving youth, professionals and intellectuals to meet every quarter to address youth issues and come up with innovative ways to promote positivity in our youth and decrease the power of the “Ghetto mentality” being perpetuated in the media, which has become quite attractive and the ‘new normal’ for many
· Create opportunities for Micro-work which is data input online
· Create opportunities for E-Lancing which is free lance professionals performing online tasks
· Promotion of Youth Ambassadorship to International Conferences in the Region and around the world