‘Badness Outta Style’

It was during a conversation a few Saturdays ago, while I was drafting the youth component of the general framework for the launch of a national alternative sustainable livelihood project, that three young men brought to my attention the effectiveness of the slogan “Badness Outta Style”.{{more}}

A more appropriate phrase is hard to find. Yes, I have heard it from time to time on Tempo. For the most part, merely in passing, but I never took the time out to weigh the impact. Where did this “Badness Outta Style” campaign begin? Tempo, one of the Caribbean’s leading entertainment networks in taking a stance against violence sought to initiate a social crusade dubbed the One Love: Badness Outta Style campaign. The aim of the drive is to search for creative ways to combat the upsurge of violence in communities, schools and neighbourhoods.

On a recent visit to Trinidad and Tobago, after discussing with several young persons the need to reduce the crime rate among the region’s youth, the impact of Tempo’s campaign again surfaced. There was indeed an upwelling of support for a slogan advocating positive change, to the point that I was certainly able to grasp the impact that this drive was beginning to have on the minds of our youth in our fight against crime.

During the carnival period, while expressing our culture, many things do get out of hand from time to time. Excessive drinking takes the spotlight in many instances; reckless driving becomes popular; there are small surges in petty crime; and there is a real propensity for there to be greater transmission of sexually transmitted diseases in this kind of environment. We must avoid at all cost these negatives, since the impacts can last a lifetime.

In the context of our Vincentian circumstances, for the past years there has been a constant dedication to espousing the need to continually foster positive changes among our youth population. Without doubt, our young people have been given opportunities to excel and to display their abilities at all levels like never before seen in this country. In this regard, the Ministry of Education continues to play a significant role as an agent of change. We must never fail to appreciate the value of universal secondary school education in reshaping our society. Today we can account for our children after they have attained the age of ten plus. This is a notable achievement that must never be slighted. Can you really imagine how grim the future was for so many of our ten and eleven year old children prior to universal secondary education? It is now not a case of a lack of opportunities, but one of receptiveness of our children, since it is one thing to attempt to guide young people, but our young people must also be open to guidance if we are to bring about meaningful change. We must play our part.

Our national policy makers have advocated a fundamental social policy principle to be tough on crime and the causes of crime. It is important to note that critical to our ability to be successful in our fight against crime and the causes of crime, is the establishment of a properly planned, structured and conceived framework for alternative sustainable livelihood in which our youth will play a central role.

The vision which advances a better society for our young people must always include a vigorous and calculative approach at outlining a series of policies, legislative and programmatic interventions that will advance the youth cause. This is embodied in a greater dream of the Government for our youth, which is to create an expansive development programme that will make it possible for every young Vincentian to eagerly and enthusiastically participate in national development through their work. It is a goal that no young person will be left behind!

Our challenge is clear. It is to accumulate and sustain self, community and national growth, and to pursue such ambitiously whilst remaining aware that we are operating within a regional framework and a globalized world. A life of crime hampers such growth, and the sustainable realisation of national developmental goals. The creative and extreme experimental peculiarities of youth will always place us in an advantageous position to define social change. I am certain that with proper policy guidelines that we will experience positive social changes. Indeed we must shun all elements of badness.

The greatest of dreams can be realized among our youth in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, but we must first not limit ourselves to half hearted approaches as we work harder to realize the sole intent of uplifting our nation. Expanding youth participation, investment and ownership directly and indirectly in all productive sectors is the heart beat of any sustainable alternative livelihood project. This initiative will not only be limited to agriculture, although from the onset there will be a heavy concentration of our efforts to work within the agricultural sector.

It is recommended that we participate in our development as young people by becoming actively involved in shaping our future outside of a life of crime. Choose to be crime free!

Saboto Caesar is a Lawyer and Unity Labour Party Senator, now serving as Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture etc.