By Marvin Louie
Osoyoos Indian Band
The basic plan for having a Youth Council (YC) is to create a framework that places a premium on the YC using its resources and influence to ensure all OIB youth have access to empowerment and personal growth; using social economics as the basis for youth development.
Young people involved in the YC will be empowered to take on leadership roles and give input on all facets of the organization. There is a monumental difference between telling young people what they should do and having them make their own socio-economic decisions.
The YC will also give the youth a forum to be heard by giving them a chance to voice their opinions and stand on their own two feet, generating their own income and exploring business (and social) ideas that will continue (and deepen) the ongoing camaraderie between the youth and the OIB community. Opening the lines of communication is key.
Change happens fastest when young people are afforded the tools, training and trust to apply their creativity and energy to affect meaningful change in their own lives and in the future of their neighbourhoods. One of the main goals of the YC will be to focus on business ideas to generate income and social integrity to help out the OIB community and surrounding communities.
It’s now time for the youth to take the next step up and become more self-sufficient.
In the past and today we have had adults in our community continuously do things for our young people, and while their efforts are noble and sincere, there is a certain connection missing when adults develop programming and pay for everything associated with youth activities. Not only will youth develop a strong bond to an organization (their own) when their input is used, but are able to ensure that the programming is exactly what they want.
Being able to make great strides improving on their relationships and interactions with the adult community is vital. Providing youth with authentic decision-making power on issues (business and social) they want to focus on is a critical step in youth engagement and youth/adult partnership efforts.
