'Your time is not to come... Your time is now'..... PM Golding tells Young Professionals

The Prime Minister made these comments when he addressed the launch of the Young Professionals Network of Jamaica (YPNJ) at a luncheon at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel yesterday (Aug 19).

He challenged the network of young professionals to locate young Jamaicans all around the world, who are contributing in their own positive ways and to let the network become a funnel to bring back these individuals to aid in the development of Jamaica.

Mr. Golding said that ‘as important as experience is, there is a catalyzing force that comes from the energy of young people; the willingness to go where those of us with experience are unwilling to go; to try what may appear to be bizarre; to move human achievements to levels not possible before’. He said he supported the willingness of young people to question everything and to not ask why, but why not.

Mr. Golding said the young people are the ones who can and will effectively take this country to the finish line, as is being witnessed by our athletes’ outstanding performance in Beijing, China.

He said there is a mindset, which Jamaica has fallen into, where the perception that the end justifies the means, have been done with total disregard for what is right or wrong. The Prime Minister said that there is no universal consensus when it comes to corruption and that many fall prey to the benefits gained although moral principles are broken. He said it is up to the young generation to reinstate good morals.

The Prime Minister said that some Jamaicans still hold on to the cruel and heinous acts of slavery and are demanding proper compensation for the behavior shown to us 170 years ago. Mr. Golding said the only redemption that we can get for the past, can only be found in the exploits of the future, and this can only be achieved through our young people.

The YPNJ is a non-profit organization of Jamaicans from diverse backgrounds and is aimed at harnessing the social and intellectual capital of Jamaica. Its founder is Yaneek Page, Managing Director of Future Services International, Jamaica’s first full service litigant support company. The other Directors are Ron ‘Speedy’ Burke, Fund Development and Communications Manager of the Heart Foundation and Heather Bernard, Regional Manager for the Western Region of Hi-Lo Food Stores.