Furbert, Wolffe share progress on youth policy
Bermuda’s youth will soon be able to elect other young people to represent their interests, the chairman of the National Youth Policy working group said today.
Theo Wolffe said the National Youth Council will work with stakeholders to address issues facing young people.
He explained: “What differentiates it from your ordinary youth advocacy platform is that it is entirely elected by young people and accredited youth organisations and also operated entirely by young people.
“They’re supposed to be an independent advocacy group that deals with all matters such as cost of living to political participation.”
He added: “The idea is everybody will be included, regardless of where you are on the island, as well as what stage in the youth experience you are at, so we’re working through that and welcome any ideas.”
Mr Wolffe, who was joined by Tinée Furbert, the youth minister, said the ministry has consulted with several partners to develop the council, which he hopes will be fully outlined in the coming months.
Mr Wolffe and Ms Furbert also discussed the 2024 National Youth Policy progress report.
Mr Wolffe explained: “The inception of our national youth conference, creation and administration of safeguarding workshops for youth-serving organisations and the enhancement of graduate training programmes, are examples of key steps we have made this year to ensure that Bermuda is an environment where young people can thrive.”
He added: “Our work is iterative and can only be improved through active discourse with you, the Bermudian people.”
Ms Furbert said more than 500 young people benefited from these programmes last year and the ministry planned to implement several others this year to expand outreach.
She explained: “We will launch a youth safeguarding ambassador programme empowering young people to advocate for safety in their communities, and we will expand vocational training programmes to provide at-risk youth with skills leading to employment and entrepreneurship.”
Other plans for 2025 include a festival showcasing young talent and training for neurodivergent youth.
The minister said: “Every time I meet with our young people, I am reminded of why this work is so important — our future is bright because our young people are bright.”
• To read the Tinée Furbert’s statement in full, see Related Media
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