The civic movement Citizen Participation was holding the virtual conversation “Youth Participates: Public policies in the field of Youth”, with the purpose of being an open dialogue on the challenges that the different sectors of society must face for the empowerment of Dominican youth, and the design of public policies and initiatives to achieve this goal.
The virtual meeting moderated by the journalist Millizen Uribe, had the participation of Rafael Jesús Feliz, Minister of Youth; José Ernesto Abud, secretary of the Youth of the People’s Force; Kathy Cabrera, leader of the National Confederation of Rural Women; Yuri Enrique, member of the Dominican Liberation Party, Rosanna Marzan, executive director of Dominican Diversity, and Jared Ortiz director of Alianza NGO.
The panelists agreed on the importance of creating public policies and initiatives designed based on the reality of young Dominicans, and the fundamental role played by the Youth Ministryas the entity in charge of formulating, coordinating and monitoring the Dominican State’s youth policy and ensuring compliance with Law 49-00.
Minister Rafael Feliz pointed out that it is essential to take young people into account because they are the base that drives and will continue to drive the country, its present and future.
“The youths they are strategic figures for the development of countries, therefore, we must continue promoting their well-being, stimulating interest in culture and politics, and above all ensuring better opportunities for access to employment, in decent conditions and for their participation in the decision-making spaces”, he highlighted.
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Delinquency
For its part, Yuri Enrique, highlighted that crime rates are monopolized by young people between 16 and 27 years oldwhere several elements influence the childhood of these young people, and that is why it is essential to see the transversality that public policies for youth should have, which directly affect other scenarios.
“Many young people cannot afford the costs of a 4-year career, that’s why INFOTEP, ITLA and the Community Technology Centers should be the ones that educate young people so that after 2 years they can access a job,” said Yuri Enrique.
Kathy Cabrera, leader of the National Confederation of Rural Womenstressed that, from the Dominican State, there should be differentiated public policies on youth, to deal with unemployment and teenage pregnancy.
“When we talk about guaranteeing rights and we see ourselves in the communities that do not have access to water, to energy, that we do not have access to highways, or to a public or private university, then public policies must be palpable and differentiated, because the realities are not the same”, he maintained.
the featured social activist, Rosanna Marzanaffirmed that the Dominican Republic is among the countries with the highest levels of teenage pregnancy and discrimination against the LGBTIQ community, therefore, it is essential for the State to change these realities.
For its part, José Ernesto Abud, secretary of the Youth of the People’s Forcespecified that it is essential to take into account the youth of each of the municipalities, being part of the solutions to contribute to the development of the country.
Initiative
This meeting was held within the framework of the initiative Youth Participate, space promoted by the general coordinator of Citizen Participation, Leidy Blanco García. It seeks to encourage the participation, training and reflection of young people. So that they can contribute to democratic institutions, social justice, transparency and the reduction of impunity in the Dominican Republic.
