Overview of the National Youth Parliament of Jamaica (NYPJ)

The National Youth Parliament of Jamaica (NYPJ) was started in November 2003 as a non-partisan initiative aimed at providing youth from across Jamaica with a forum to express their views, network and debate issues of concern in the House of Representatives. The Parliament has traditionally been hosted as part of the slate of activities for National Youth Month celebrations in Jamaica, with the most recent sitting being in November 2022.

The NYPJ is structured to provide an opportunity for youth to deepen their understanding of parliamentary democracy, while developing skills in research, policy formulation and analysis, advocacy, public speaking and communication.

The NYPJ involves a yearly programme of activities, to include, orientation, training, local and regional meetings, dialogue with Ministers and Opposition spokespersons, and provide avenues for youth inputs and consultation in policy and programme development.

Objectives:

The National Youth Parliament is structured to:

• Encourage active citizenship among youth and promote involvement in democracy and governance;

• Analyse and provide feedback from a youth perspective on statements, ministry papers, green papers and bills before the Houses of Parliament;

• Promote youth mainstreaming into national policies, strategies and programmes.

Email Address: nypjamaica@gmail.com