Hi, Given that the IYF is involved, the project will likely have access to most internation youth development program development literature available, IYF has published several syntheses, I believe.  The (published) Jamaican lessons learned, are fewer.  It might be useful to speak with JSIF and CSJP social officers, as well as Youth Crime Watch Jamaica, who would have much to offer through dialogue about experiences with a conflict/violence prevention dimension.  Regards, Ellen Hamilton, World Bank

I believe that all youth development programs should target the youth at the initial stage. The problem with these programs is that they are brought into the communities after they are designed and most of the time they do not work. meet the young people, have dialogues, forums get to know their needs and wants then you begin the process.

If we use a youth led process, whereby we find the target populations we aresseking to link with - at risk, rural poor, urban informal - whatever the specific population we are seeking to empower, and through a process of grounded resonings develop a methodology as to how to reach them specifically. I also propose utilizing some of the best practices that NCYD, SDC from a government agency standpoint have and they have a body of work that is incomparable in terms of community youth work practice. 

greetings, well ones first prority is to establish the paramaters for what makes a youth at risk. once that is done then one should seek to address these risks.  now i know that is the purpose of this whole project but if some fundamental changes are not made to address the risk, then the implementation of any programme will not see full results.

then one has to allow the youths to understand that this is there programme, this is is another way, a better way from that which they had.  additionally, the programme has to highlight and respond to the psychologicsal need of thses youths, that is that they are valued and needed.

ps. i beleive the Gov is about to launch a similar programme too entitled Y.U.T.E. i'm not sure which ministry it is but u could also laise with them, seeing that they should have already done some ground work.

I believe when we talk about youths the specific age group we are targetting should be clear. youth development is very vital to our society's sustainability, hence we should have diologue with them about issues they face and the direction they would like their life to take. Govt. has some youth development programmes but they don't capture all the youths. This is a step in the right direction. Jennifer James.

Good day,. I think one of the best way for the start up of this project is to identify the needs areas. This do not necessarily have to do with the inner-city as so many believed. Children all over the country have been abused one way or another and they are in all sphere of society.  Working with guidance counsellor in schools would be a good way to begin, they know the students who are most vulnerable to be at risk.  From this stage intervention programme can be developed which would lead right into the different channels towards the developmental process of establishing a strong and sustainable youth movement in Jamaica.   This will take in mostly the under achievers in schools who consider themselves 'let down' by the society.  Commnity groups starting out of the schools could have a positive influence on preventing the yourth from falling through the cracks.

DRAFT

• Hi colleagues,

As some of you know I have been working with young people behind the scenes for a very long time. I just do what I can with the little resources I have.

Like Bev, I started as early as the 1980's working with young people in my places of work, at church and in their communities, including my own children and my younger brothers and sister. In the early 1990's I became a Youth Coordinator through the Neighbourhood Watch Prog., afterwhich I was appointed Justice of the Peace for St. Andrew and Dispute Resolution Mediator. What we did during those years was to give the young people in our community an alternative to behaving inappropriately and becoming victims of crime and violence. It was from then that we called it our victim support prog. because we also had to give support to children whose parents or brothers and sisters were incarcerated, there were cases of fire or other disasters and we even gave support to our senior citizens even through we were working with the NHW Prog. that was stigmatized "infama fi ded".

I saw them getting in to all sorts of trouble due to idleness, sitting on the street corner wall, walking from yard to yard afetr which my yard and home became their "Safe heaven and hide-.out" even from their parents. I had to do something and so the neighbourhood Watch Youth Group was launched. We had over 70 children working with at the time between the ages of 5 years and 21 years, meeting on a Friday evening in the church hall. We even had activities for the different age groups focusing on what is appropriate for their stages of development. I know where at least 90% of them are and they are all adults now with their own children. When I launched my social services company in 2009 some of them were there and the unvailing of the company logo was done by their children. 

It was while working with them in 1993 that I started to study Social Work at UWI Social Welfare Training Centre so that I could adopt a professional approach to Youth Work and Community work. Although the youth group as a victim support strategy had a positive effect, in that, the NHW Prog. was no longer stigmatized as "informers". It was then I decides not to stigmatize them either as "victims" but to get them believing in themselves, identifying their talents and skills even though they were exposed to drugs and violence. I remember in those days I had to confiscate quite a few "seasoned knives" and ice picks.

These young people were given alternatives, they had a meeting place, they had regular activities that had them participating and competing among themselves and with others. They were empowered to become what they are today, especially the boys who I spent more time with, I must confess. They even had a positive relationship with the community police officerswho up to this day are still in contact with some of us. As a matter of fact one of these officers who is now an Inspector is a member of my social services Board. Only two girls during the life of the group got pregnant and I am still in touch with them, as a matter of fact I am Godmother to the 1st baby who is now in High School.

They had power which they earned and control to become who they are today - cooks,  teachers, computer programmer and specialists, cosmetologists, technicians, taxi operators, public servants, business men and women and storekeepers. Some of them are still in the community, across the island, in other Caribbean countries, in the USA, Canada and England. After I left the community only one got into serious criminal activity and was incarcerated, and ended up on the streets and was later murdered. I was asked to return to that community to work with their children. I promised to to work with them even once per month but because I am already working in another rural community it is very hard stretching the resources, and so I would need a little additional funding to address their behavioural needs. The best practices here is to work with the children from very early in order to mold their little minds to think positively and appropriately.There has to be constant monitoring and evaluation of their activities since they get distracted easily and there has to be creativity when designing anything for them.

From my experience every generation is different and they have their own needs, but in each generation there is this "power struggle" as to who must dominate who and who is in charge or responsible for whom. They have to learn from very early that they have responsibilities at every stage of their development and each stage has a "crisis period" that they all must pass through. They always love these sessions because they felt they were contributing and participating to their own well being and that they were given the chance to get to know themselves and feel the taste of power at times. This started me thinking of finding a new strategy for a more modern generation that will empower them to use this power they have within, positively.

In 2006 I. came across an article "Power and its Practices: an ethics for professional youth work", written by Howard Sercombe based on Foucault's (1978, 1984) and Wartenberg's (1991) theories, cited in the Commonwealth Youth and Development Journal (2005). It was here that I realized that I needed to understand the structures of power in the different generations. Not at the level of the state or by other clearly defined processes in everyday life, for example, youth and family, and so I started to explore the meaning of power in the context of youth work and ended up developing my own theory and practice models for working with children, young people, adults/parents.

It is my philosophy and belief that people can exercise control, there are always alternatives and choices and they can change if they are resicialized to have new thinking. All that is needed is cooperation from all, and as such, youth work requires a partnership and integrate approach.      

Youth work is a relationship of cooperation but are our young people empowered to fight or avoid dependency, oppression and exploitation, often resulting in corruption, abuse and neglect (Sercombe,2005). I looked at the impact of these ethical terms and their relationship to power and working with our youth, and came to the conclusion that we need another "new thinking" for this generation.

According to Foucault and others, with every relationship a source of processes of "domination" and "subordination" is established and confirmed. These two actions in reality are never favoured by our young and causes conflicts. Therefore, we must look at causes for the failure or effectiveness of our programmes. Is "power" the cause? and taking into consideration the social and ethical issues, should power be owned by our youth, should it be given to them or should they not have it at all. This debate is presently taking place with students from both NCU and UWI. Some interesting points are being raised and they support the view that power flourishes and reproduces itself in the most taken for granted conversations involving working with young people effectively.   

Sercombe stated that Foucault would also argue, that every exercise in 'what is to be done' is an exercise in power and in domination, and that the quest for knowledge about power is a quest for power over power. Where does it ends, it doesnt, power is cooperation by both barties. It is shared, and therefore in Youth work and development, power is shared at each stage of the developmental process for the sustainable development in communities.

Finally, the development of children, youth and their parents over the years has resulted in the following theory development and practice models, currently being used in schools, communities, churches and workplaces in urban and rural communities. The response and feedback from participants have been overwhelming:

• The approach is to have several positive activities taking place in the community at the same time for the different groups in the community from children to senior citizens focusing on their needs. Activities at the school, the church and the community centre eg. sports, session with children exposed to violence or who are experiencing seperation, grief and loss, parenting sessions for fathers, single mothers, grand mothers etc., skills training prog., migration counselling re factors relating to the country of origin and the host country.
• All policies, conventions, acts and laws relating to children and the family must be compiled together, making the connection of their importance to the stability of the family structure for our young people to understand. Students are now advocating for a Family Preservation Policy/Act based on their research. One of their recommendations is that parenting education be mandatory for parents breaching the Child Care and Protection Act.
• Workshop/Seminar/Session - Youth Awareness Programme "Preparing a New Generation: Emotional and Social Relationships". Focus is on "Who am I?" at school and at home, the developmental tasks and psycho-social crisis stages designed based on participants age, being "armed and dangerous" spiritually, types of development, display boothes based on community social issues and problems.
• Parenting education is being done during a child's stages of development whether at the basic, primary or secondary levels. They are being conducted in PTA and community meetings and also in workplaces.
• Programmes, sessions and activities are being conducted by MYCH Services in schools, churches, conferences, workplaces, neighbourhood watch groups, focus/mutual aid groups as under:

         Theory Development: New Thinking -- the 3 "C's" of Human          Relationship and Development, "Control,Choice and Change". 

         The belief is that, I am responsible for my actions, I have control,

         I have choices and I can change for success. 

• An Intervention Plan for Youth Work Development was designed and implemented using a rights base and strengths perspective. Focus is on the positive features and skills of young people, yet skillfully addressing the negative behaviours identified using culture, art, play, drama, music/song, sports.
• No labeling language or stigmatization is used when working with children and youth
• Applying the "shock treatment" has been working well. This activity involves taking children who are getting out of control for a visit to Bellevue Hospital or the Remand Centre/Prison.
• A skills training programme has been designed for the parishes of Clarendon, Manchester and ST. Elizabeth.
• The implementation of Macro Social Work students from NCU to work in our sustainable development outreach programme in a community in Mandeville. A proposal for funding is being sought to assist with the activities. The intervention started with a Youth Awareness Day and focus is now being places on the basic school.
• Over the years based on my experience as an auditor, I have been conducting ongoing evaluations of my programmes, activities and strategies, used for effictiveness and applicability, making changes where necessary.
• In relation to the effectiveness and compliance of social policies and their impact on our children and youth, the students at both NCU and UWI are presently reviewing the National Youth Policy, with the view of making recommendations for inclusion or changes, and designing public education programmes of this nature with community youth groups. If there are communities without functioning youth groups, then this should be encouraged.
• A gender sensitization programme focusing on sexual harassment, incest and gender identity among school children is being designed for implementation in their homes and communities under the "after-school community service prog".
• Spirituality as a model for intervention is being encouraged from the basic school level which involves the use of prayer, learning to trust and have faith. We need to be setting up more Big Brother Big Sister programmes and become affiliates of the international body which will be very beneficial.  

I am hoping my generational experience and contribution in the development of Youth Work will be of some value to the discussion.

Marcia Y.C. Higgins J.P., MSW (Doctoral Candidate)

Founder/CEO - Making Your Connections Holistic (MYCH) Services

Instructor - Northern Caribbean University (NCU) Mandeville Campus

Part Time Lecturer - UWI SWTC Open Campus (Mona)

Executive Member - Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions  (JCTU) Women's Committee