Transformation and strategic planning needed to meet demands of Pacific youths – Broderick Mervyn

To meet the demands of today's Pacific youth, transformation and strategic planning initiatives are required.

Coordinator and Founder of a youth-led initiative called Ignite4Change, Broderick Mervyn highlighted this while speaking with representatives of the Ministry of Youth and Sports during the 13th Festival of the Pacific Arts and Culture (FESTPAC) Youth Ambassadors Briefing.

Mervyn and Peace Corps representative Inise Kuruwale will represent Fiji at the 13th Festival of the Pacific Arts and Culture Youth Ambassadors Programme, which will be held in Hawaii. The program is a Young Pacific Leaders Initiative that will bring 35 emerging youth leaders from the Pacific to discuss emerging youth issues.

Mervyn emphasized the importance of addressing key issues such as disconnection in formal education, lack of critical thinking, and civic engagement during the Youth Ambassadors Program and the challenges of change management, particularly in different geographical locations and levels of awareness and ability and stresses the need for visible success to drive adoption of change.

He adds that culture is deeply ingrained in the social fabric of the countries in which human ingenuity, customs, and abilities are standard and to promote a development that is egalitarian, inclusive, and based on the needs of people, development policies must prioritize culture amongst our youths.