State Minister Calls On SDC To Create New Social Intervention Programme
Minister of State in the Ministry of Local Government, Hon. Colin Fagan, has challenged the leadership of the Social Development Commission (SDC), to develop a special social programme to dramatically raise the levels of civic consciousness and personal responsibility in Jamaica.
The Minister was speaking at special Awards and Retirees ceremony, to recognize the employees of the SDC.
In noting that the SDC has firmly established its social presence through sport, Minister Fagan said the Agency will have to do even more, to positively intervene in, and shape the attitudes of the Jamaican society.
“The attitudes our young people form early in life will determine whether their Life Chances…their prospects for being good, noble and productive citizens of Jamaica and indeed the world. Our problems of unemployment, underemployment, crime and corruption are all tightly tied to the kind of society we have encouraged over time.”
Minister Fagan said initiatives are needed to ensure a better quality of mother, by shaping her attitudes as a child, and initiatives for boys, to ensure that the vast majority of men become fathers who cherish and nurture their children, rather than breeders of women.
He also stated that initiatives are required which will, throughout the lives of children and young people, mould them into socially conscious, productive, curious adults with a profound moral compass.
“If we start with the infants of today, that would be a twenty-year project. That is a medium-term project in economic terms. It is critical to our efforts to develop our economy and to our chances to meet our Vision 2030 goals in a real way”.
