The first National Youth Crime Prevention Conference on the theme “Combating crime through youth empowerment”organised by Youth Crime Watch – The Gambia will commence today, May 23rd and end on Friday, May 25th at the KMC Community Hall in Kanifing.

A statement provided to the Daily Observer by the organisers indicated that the aim of the conference is to establish a platform for youth-driven interdisciplinary, multi-sector think-tank that will support the efforts of government, security agencies and local partners in ensuring enhanced security, development and creating opportunities in The Gambia.

“Combating crime through youth empowerment Gambia 2012 is a three-day event which will attract young people from all the regions of the country focusing on topics like terrorism, conflict prevention, citizen orientation, child online protection, cyber security, culture, entrepreneurship, rural development, etc,” the statement added.

From available statistics, the statement added, over 60 per cent of crimes, civil unrest, internet fraud, scam, cyber crime, child labour, terrorism and militancy are perpetrated by young people. The statement further indicated that the Youth Crime Watch-The Gambia is delighted to be a facilitator of this platform to bring together young Gambians and thought leaders from all corners of the country to help them channel a way out of negativity to positive innovation and creative thinking that will provoke social economic development of our great Gambia.

“As you know, the high rates of crime and violence in The Gambia are undermining growth, threatening human welfare and impeding social development. Indeed, it is unambiguous that crime and violence are a development issue, having direct effects on human welfare in the short term and on economic growth and social development in the longer term. One of the most worrying issues we are confronted with in today’s society is drugs which is interrelated to crime.

It is a truism that crime has a negative impact on legitimate business and investment. As crime increases, access to financing declines, spending on formal and informal security measures increases, and worker productivity declines. Moreover, fighting crime diverts limited economic resources from other critical human development sectors such as health and education,” it added.

This Conference, according to the statement provides a unique platform and opportunity to bring together youths to share experiences about the problems that are affecting their lives and develop the creative and leadership qualities while ensuring their drive to be effective leaders and thus aggrandizing their potential in participating towards national development and empowering towards crime prevention.

“The issue of drug abuse, violence and crime should be of the utmost concern for all. One of the worst aspects of these vices is that it affects primarily those who are most vulnerable, such as the youths. They are the most serious emerging problems facing their demography.

The challenges young people are faced with growing up has lulled some towards the easy path of turning to criminal activities, violence and drugs for solace, and causing distress to their families by being both dependant and redundant, hence becoming a serious wastage of a valuable national resource and thus propelling the vicious cycle of poverty,” the statement concluded.