[Source: Dialogue Fiji]

The European Union is committed to engaging young people and their voices in policy and decision-making by providing the support they need.

Deputy Head of European Union Delegation to the Pacific Nereo Penalver Garcia highlights this while officiating at the Inter University Debate held at the Fiji National University organized by Dialogue Fiji this morning.

The European Union Deputy Head states that youths are changemakers and are essential partners in promoting democracy and human rights.

“Indeed, youth are generally more open to transformation and tend to be a vector of progress in societies. This becomes even more significant in a region like the Pacific where half of the population is under 23 years old.”

Garcia says that the EU is currently working on establishing a Youth Sounding Board for the Pacific to advise them in their work in the region.

He believes that promoting dialogue between youth from Europe and the Pacific, wil enable them to listen to ideas about how the EU’s relationship should be and shape it accordingly.

Dialogue Fiji Executive Director Nilesh Lal says that the whole intention of the debate is to address the issue of youth empathy in Fiji.

“So one of the things that has been concerning in the Fijian context is the fact that there has been a lot of disillusionment on the part of youths in relation to politics, political processes in the country, and the political governance of the country.”

Dialogue Fiji believes that young people have the responsibility and the power to change society for the better, and they are the future of the country.