by Marlon Madden (Barbados Today) In his maiden contribution in the Senate, Senator Andwele Boyce urged his colleagues that inclusion and representation of various groups will matter to ensure true democracy.
Boyce made the point on Friday as he joined the debate on the amendment to the Constitution to lower the age requirement for the Senate, which he said should be seen as a way to get more youth involved in the decision-making process.
“We wring our hands often in this country about how to get the nation’s young people to participate in democracy. The amendments before the House this afternoon represent one necessary way that we can do just that . . . We cannot achieve active citizenship if a swathe of the nation’s population is required by law to sit on the sidelines,” said Boyce.
“It is my hope that as youth become active players in the contact sport of democracy that ours and even their voices be heard more and that ours and perhaps their issues be grappled with throughout the political term,” he said.
