Americas' Youth: a Reflection of Ourselves and a Glimpse into the Future.

• Author: Ramdin, Albert R.
• Position: OAS YOUTH - Essay

Earlier this summer I was invited to address a youth assembly hosted by an international organization based here in Washington DC. As ] walked into the auditorium of a few hundred students, I couldn't help but notice the diversity in the faces that stood to greet me. Students from across the Americas were here to discuss common issues. In this one room was a glimpse into the future of our hemisphere.

There are approximately 151.9 million young people between the ages of 15 and 24 living in the Americas, about 17 percent of the total population of the region. If we include everyone in the hemisphere under the age of 24, this group is collectively about 42.4 percent of the population of the Americas. Any group with such a significant presence can't be ignored in our societies and economies, or for that matter in the average election or at the average institution. If it were a matter of a poll, politicians would be courting them, seeking their vote and ensuring their voices are heard and their opinions factored in. When it comes to the youth of the Americas however--the very future of our hemisphere--the tendency to overlook this group is real.

Millions of youth across the hemisphere continue to be voiceless. Many in Latin America and the Caribbean are still being raised in homes where the average income is less than one US dollar a day. Hundreds of thousands don't know where their next set of clothes or tomorrow's meal will come from: millions are confronting sexual violence, insecurity, uncertainty and unemployment. Others by contrast, are growing up in a world heavily influenced by advances in information and communication technology. Cyberbullying, isolation, and alienation are everyday challenges. Fierce competition in everything from education and employment to sports defines their lives from early on. The Western Hemisphere is the most unequal region in the world. It's a place that promises more for our youth, but recently has delivered less. The recent economic slowdown has increased pressure on this group. Police divisions across the hemisphere are now reporting an increase in suicide attempts, crimes committed by youth, and murders of persons within this age group.

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The diverse issues affecting our youth must become even more of a priority for governments in this hemisphere. While there is no single or straightforward solution to the range of issues they face, there are basic concepts which I believe can make a...