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Pacific Overview on Youth

There is no regionally agreed definition of youth. Who is a young person, as compared with who is a child or who is an adult, varies with each Pacific island and culture. SPC respects each Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICT’s) definition of youth. However, the PYB focuses principally on the age group from 15 to 24 years.

Growing number of Young People in the Pacific

The proportion of young people in the populations of SPC’s 22 member countries and territories is growing. Of the total population of over 8 million, some 1.6 million are aged between 15 and 24 years. (Of these young people, females account for about 47 per cent and males around 53 per cent.) This age group comprises about 20 per cent of the total population of Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) and represents one of the most dynamic elements in Pacific Island societies.

The proportion of the population in this age group is projected to grow at an annual rate of 2.2 per cent. The rapid rise in the number of young people will increase demand for essential social services like education and health, as well as for employment opportunities. As a result, government budgets and services directed at young people will be under even more pressure.

The existing Challenges in our societies

Allied with these population pressures is a set of new problems resulting from rapidly changing societies and the introduction of values that clash with traditional cultural norms. In addition, inadequate educational opportunities leave many island young people with limited skills and life choices. These limitations in turn can undermine self-esteem and lead to anti-social and risky behaviours.

A common problem throughout the Pacific is the lack of a coherent policy framework within which appropriate services are planned and delivered for young people as they move from childhood to adulthood. This results in ad hoc and uncoordinated approaches by government agencies and the non-government sector to meeting the specific needs of young people. This is compounded by insufficient training and resources allocated to Youth Ministries and NGOs.

Another problem is the lack of consultation with young people when decisions are made in areas that affect them. Part of the reason is the absence of effective representative organisations for young people at regional and national levels that can successfully lobby decision makers for greater recognition of youth needs. Youth councils exist at both levels but they will need ongoing technical assistance before they can have a positive impact on policy development.     

Who are these Young People?

Young women are especially likely to suffer from long-entrenched discrimination, practices and habits. On the one hand, young women receive little or no return for their huge contributions to both the economy and society. On the other hand, young women are often denied the same opportunities as young men for training and paid employment, and so are prevented from maximising their individual development and participation in society.

There may be other subgroups of young people living on the margins of society. Because of rapid growth in urban areas, from both high birth rates and migration, there has been an enormous increase in the number of urban youth who live in extraordinary precarious conditions in neighbourhoods that lack basic services, housing or security.

In addition, there are migrants, refugees and other young workers who struggle on the margins of the labour force; young people with disabilities who face particular difficulties as they attempt to participant more fully in society; and young people who may be driven by social circumstance into crime, alcoholism, drug abuse and trafficking.

In many situations students, even though integrated into the formal educational structure, may suffer from a disjunction between education and the world of work, as well as from an inadequate socialisation process. In spite of regional diversity, some problems are universal, even though they may manifest themselves in ways that are unique to each region, nation or locality.

What lies before us?

In order to participate more in the organisations that represent them, and the life of their communities, young Pacific islanders need to develop a range of practical skills that are not currently available in their school curriculum.  These skills include leadership, project development and management and lifestyle skills. These skills will help them take on leadership and advocacy responsibilities, recognise and capitalise on personal and community development opportunities, and make informed choices about their futures.

Young Pacific islanders often feel a lack of awareness of how other young people in the region and beyond are contributing to positive change in their communities. This is due to the lack of access to up-to-date information on current trends in youth development in the region and best practice models. Young people feel a need for this information to help them improve their responses to issues that affect them.

These are key challenges for PICTs; after all, the problems young people face reflect the larger problems of society. Therefore they should be addressed within the framework of national development policies. The search for solutions should also draw as much possible on the creativity of young people themselves.

The SPC's Response

As a response to these challenges, the PYB convened the First Regional Conference of Youth Ministers of the Pacific Community in Papeete, French Polynesia in July 1998. The meeting adopted the Pacific Youth Strategy 2005 (PYS2005) as a regional framework for action.

The Strategy calls for concerted, collective action among youth organisations, churches, non-government organisations, governments, administrations, regional and international organisations, and donors, to address the problems and challenges affecting young people in the Pacific in a more holistic manner. The Pacific Youth Bureau (PYB) of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community was endorsed as lead agency for the implementation of the strategy.