Column: Talbot-Woolridge On Youth Engagement
[Opinion column written by Shomari Talbot-Woolridge]
Over the past two years, I have had the privilege to lead Progressive Minds, the PLP’s youth wing. This role has given me the opportunity to not only listen to our youth but also to push for a stronger focus on the issues that matter to us and our future.
Our perspective is different. Not just because we are younger, but because we have grown up in a world unlike any seen in our lifetimes. Those of us under 40 have seen a world of tremendous economic instability, never-ending global conflict, and most significantly, a tremendous loss of faith in the institutions and structures that no longer seem capable of protecting us, or serving our interests.
The result?
A generation that is becoming disenchanted. A generation that is becoming disengaged. A generation that is struggling to be heard.
That’s why our voices are needed more than ever.
The PLP Government has started a public consultation on electoral reform not behind closed doors, not rushed through Parliament, but out in our community, with regular Bermudians empowered to shape the outcome. That choice was intentional. Democracy only works when people trust it, and trust is built by listening before legislating.
This Electoral Reform process is about whether the system reflects the Bermuda we live in NOW, not the Bermuda of decades ago. It’s about modernising how we vote, who gets access to the ballot, and how we make sure participation is fair, secure, and inclusive. That’s how we avoid mistakes. That’s how we build trust, and that’s how we protect our future.
A lot of us feel that politics doesn’t change anything. I struggle with that feeling myself. But the truth is this: the rules never change when the same voices keep showing up. This consultation is a chance to change that to help shape a system that works for you, not one that assumes it can ignore you.
So here’s my challenge to each of us: don’t sit this one out. Bring your questions. Bring your concerns. Bring your ideas.
If we want a fairer Bermuda tomorrow, we have to show up today.
- Shomari Talbot Woolridge, Constituency #9, Smith’s West
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