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Normally one would see youths, government officials, teachers and other key stakeholders involved in this discussion but the main target audience for today's meeting was the media and our role in positively impacting youths. Erica Goldson the Assistant Representative of United Nations Population Fund discussed the objective of the report and how it can improve the lives of youths.

Erica Goldson, Assistant Representative, UNFPA
"It basically bring to the forefront issues that affect young people and the challenges it's in and it's a global report but when you look at the report, a lot of the issues mentioned in the report is our reality in Belize. And so the report is creating an opportunity for us to really start the discussion around more or greater investment in young people."

Courtney Weatherburne
"Yes empowerment is a great issue, but some youths today don't even have the time or the luxury to sit down and think about okay, I am going to be empowered, I am going to be engaged in social issues when most of them pretty much don't know what they are going to eat for the day."

Erica Goldson
"I agree - good. So earlier the doctor mentioned about the other determinacy that affect or factors that contribute to maybe the poor development of a young person, so we have to start to look at that. Try to see how we can address all the social factors affecting young people, so we can't just only look at preventing HIV or preventing adolescent pregnancy which is extremely important, but we have to look at the other contributing factors; the issue around poverty as we mentioned, the unemployment issues that some of them are facing."

At the end of the month coordinators will host a 2-day workshop for the youths to join in the discussion. The report was launched last year.