Electoral Reform Secretariat
Church Street
Basseterre
St. Kitts



YOUTHS SAY THEY WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS, AND ERCC RESPONDS


Basseterre, St. Kitts (September 7, 2006): Mutryce Williams, a member of the Electoral Reform Consultative Committee (ERCC), will be prompting discussion among young people, and answering questions tonight at Bambu’s between 7:30 and 9:30pm to engage them in the reformation process.

This discussion at Bambu’s is the first ERCC event organized specifically for young people since the launch of the St. Kitts and Nevis Electoral Reform Exercise on Wednesday, August 23, 2006.

The ERCC moved quickly to galvanize young people, coming out of Monday’s Town Hall Meeting where the few youths who spoke there articulated their hopes for the electoral reform process, and their frustrations about what they say is their inability to participate fully in the process because of a lack of knowledge, but, nevertheless, a strong desire to learn.

“From my perspective as a young man,” said Nigel Browne, “I believe that the youth should have a voice with regards to electoral reform. It is a very important process and because the young people are the future leaders of tomorrow I definitely feel that we should have a say.”

Ms. Williams invited Jacqueline Bryan, a member of the St. Kitts National Youth Parliament Association and host of a WINN FM program focused on young people, to speak. “What we are trying to do is more or less educate ourselves about the current electoral system,” Ms. Bryan said, “so that when we do come to a town hall meeting to make our presentation it’s an informed presentation.”

She added, “So not because I haven’t said anything doesn’t mean I’m not going to say anything. It’s just that when we come, we want to come good, that’s all.”

Giles Dickenson followed Ms. Bryan on the floor. Although Mr. Dickenson is not considered young, or a young adult, he spoke empathetically about the group. “I think we’re overlooking that young people may not physically be here to say something. If you all look back to when you were young, young people might feel a little bit intimidated coming here to speak because we have a lot of grown up people here. So they may not be here, but they’re listening,” he said, alluding to the live broadcast of the meeting on ZIZ Radio.

This stirred Ms. Bryan, who made her way back up to the microphone in the middle of the Basseterre High School Auditorium. “When Giles came up it came to me,” she said. “It’s in relation to the talk about young people, and someone came here tonight because they heard it on the radio. They came here not to make a contribution, but to come and look inside to see who was here. Then they left and they’ve said nothing.

“And before he left I told him this, ‘Just before you came they were talking about young people and the fact that they’re not here, but when I came up here tonight I was expecting to meet a bump a crowd because of the nature of the town hall meeting, electoral reform,'” she said. “And now that it is happening, we are not participating in it. So it’s OK for us to clamour and complain that we want something and then when we actually get it we’re not participating in it,” Ms. Bryan continued, receiving applause at this point.

Then she made an appeal to the adults. “Having said that, where is the example for the young people? You want them to come out and the adults are not coming out,” Ms. Bryan said to the people there who fell shy of 100 people. “People should be here with their kids. They should be talking to their children about it…

“As I tell people, it’s not about the political parties. It’s about us, and we have to make our mouths big on it,” she said to another round of applause.

Another young person, Diane Greene, addressed the Electoral Reform Consultative Committee (ERCC). “A lot of young out there don’t know half the things you all know. We just know that my grandfather, my grandmother is Labour, or whatever party they support. When we reach a certain age, we’re expected to register, go out and vote,” she said.

“We’re not looking at anything else. So if we’re not aware as to what you all are talking about and what you all are doing, we cannot participate,” Ms. Greene added.

The ERCC is hoping to assuage this frustration and alienation – voiced eloquently in the young people’s contributions – through events and interactions that aim to spur their awareness of the issues concerning the current electoral system, and their interest in reforming the process.

Ms. Williams has created the slogan "Feel. Know. Give it up. Do the Dutty Wuk. Is We Right; Is We Life." The slogan is in part a reference to the Dutty Wine song/dance, which is popular among young people in St. Kitts and Nevis.

The Electoral Reform Consultative Committee (ERCC) will make the full schedule of youth-related activities available to the public next week.



Contact: Valencia Grant (869-762-6177)