Leader of the Bahamas Democratic Movement, Cassius Stuart is calling on young people to get up off their laurels and play an active role in the development of the country.
In a hard-hitting statement, Mr Stuart said, “There is a vast amount of the present generation of youth who are seemingly only interested in clubbing, sports, popular entertainment and plainly just wasting time.” He added that, “Unfortunately only a few of us show interest in frontline politics, nation building and civic matters.”
Mr Stuart pointed out that the country’s future development should not be left to elders alone as young people are among the many Bahamians with the greatest stake since they would be inheriting tomorrow’s Bahamas. “Older Bahamians tend to be guided by their past experiences, our country’s history, the systems and environment in which they grew up,” he said. “This generation, on the other hand, is not weighed down by traditions, history and mindset. We are less afraid of change and are more willing to look for fresh perspectives and initiatives.”
Mr Stuart further noted that there was a huge generation gap in approaches to problems. He said the country therefore, needs a combination of approaches, both traditional and unconventional, to deal with today’s complex issues and challenges. “Today’s generation is apathetic because it was spared by history, and has no cause bigger than ‘itself’ to believe in,” he explained. “It has not experienced powerful historic events such as the Burma Road Riot, Majority Rule and racial oppression.”
In the meantime, the party is preparing to name candidates to contest all 40 seats in the next general elections. The BDM is the only political group that has created a 40-year development plan for the country.
By: MINDELL SMALL, The Nassau Guardian
