A brief history of the youth development in Anguilla
Youth Development is the facilitation, creation, implementation and enhancement of youth and youth focused programmes, projects and services. The focus of Anguilla’s youth development programmes is to strengthen the capacity of young people to successfully navigate through life; by placing emphasis not only on the provision of services to support youth empowerment (political, economic and social), but also to support their full participation at all levels in society, while also facilitating the acquisition of skills and knowledge that will assist young people in making desirable choices for positive self-development.
Over the course of the last 30 years, the Government of Anguilla (GoA) has made many strides towards developing initiatives/programmes, across multiple public agencies, to accomplish these goals. The Government led the process to establish and strengthen the establishment of the Anguilla National Youth Council (ANYC) and the National Youth Ambassador Corps (NYAC); further encouraged and/or supported the creation of youth led and youth focused entities; provided capacity building initiatives to empower young people to become advocates and full participants in the governance processes of their country; made the necessary investments for young people to excel academically, and explore their interests and develop their skills in sports, arts and culture.
The agency charged to carry the mantle of youth development forward is the Department of Youth and Culture – Youth Affairs Division. The Youth Affairs Division’s function is to facilitate, create, implement and enhance youth-led and youth-focused programmes, projects and services throughout Anguilla.
The division’s underlying premise is based on the belief that youth are valued assets and can contribute positively to the socio-economic, cultural and political spheres of the nation. Further, the division strongly supports the engagement of young people, not just as programme participants, but as planners, decision makers and implementers; this is crucial not solely for young people’s preparation and development, but is also important for civic revitalisation and community and social development.
