00:00The National Youth Convention was held under the theme
00:04Youth Unleash Combating Climate Change.
00:07Minister of Youth Development and National Service Foster Cummings
00:11announced a collaboration with the Ministry of Rural Development
00:14and local government to benefit coastal areas.
00:18We will be rolling out a beach cleanup project
00:21which we will certainly involve the Ministry of Education and the schools
00:24to come on board in that project as we encourage you
00:28to take care of your environment.
00:30He again stated the government's plan to have 1,500 youth farmers by 2025
00:36which will include the expansion of the homestead program
00:39to areas outside of Chatham.
00:42The minister said the government in 2025 will be seeking to draft
00:46the next national youth policy for which consultations will be had.
00:51How do we sharpen that policy for 2025 to 2030?
00:56We encourage the teachers particularly who are here with us
00:59to make sure that your students get involved in that process.
01:03Mention has also been made of the National Youth Development Agency legislation
01:08which Cummings said will go to Parliament soon.
01:11According to local government minister Farris Elrawi
01:14it would give students more opportunities.
01:17Each school can ascribe to national service
01:21in the new legislation that we have coming forward
01:24and I invite you when it goes for public consultation to genuinely look at it.
01:30Minister of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzalez said
01:33young people must lead a revolutionary thinking to save the planet
01:37and to change the mindsets of the generations prior
01:41to eliminate ills like greenhouse gas emissions.
01:44But he said it is the government who must put the policies and resources in place
01:49to allow young people to do so.
01:51However, Gonzalez issued caution to the students about people
01:55who he said seek divisiveness using ethnicity and politics.
02:00Today I urge you to distance yourself from anyone and any grouping
02:06that will jeopardize the safety and security of our country
02:10in order to gain political mileage.
02:12Gonzalez highlighted the $4 billion debt accrued by TNTEC
02:16owed to the National Gas Company
02:19as he zoned in on several projects being pursued towards renewable energy.
02:24And if therefore we were to transition into renewables
02:29that $4 billion can be saved and be put to better use
02:33to build better infrastructure.
02:35Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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