Youth Focus: What kind of stories should we tell?
It's Youth month and as we move towards Youth Day on the 16th, we remember the young people of 1976.
Fast forward 41 years – and we’re asking our young people, what they think of the country they live in.
Today we explore storytelling and news reporting.
What is it that a young person would want to consume?
What kind of stories should we tell?
12-year old Aidan de Sousa is old enough to make sense of the everyday information hustle and bustle.
But he finds news all too serious…and thinks that a juggling cat should be considered in a news bulletin.
Because after all, it will make everyone smile.
Veteran actress, Shaleen Surtie-Richards says there are good stories to tell on radio, on screen and on stage. But she says it is imperative that the hardships of the past be preserved.
"We mustn't just revel in the bad stuff that has happened. We must revel in the stuff that can teach us something."
She says if the sad stories with happy endings teach us something, she's all for it.
"We must not just say things because we want to create havoc or we want to create drama. You should create drama as a lesson. A way to go forward," she says.
Shaleen says she is a firm believer in investing in the youth because they are the leaders of tomorrow but she adds that the youth must be guided by their elders.
"Believe in who and what you are. Do what you intend doing to the best of your ability. Nothing is impossible and the word "NO" is non-existent," she says.