CYC Regional Representative on Youth Inclusivity in Belize’s Political Landscape

Dominique Noralez

We also asked Noralez for her thoughts on the political landscape in Belize where youth inclusivity is concerned. While Noralez noted that Belize has produced shining examples of young politicians who have served their communities well, she says the greatest challenge for today’s youth is the fear of victimization by association with a political party.

Dominique Noralez, Regional Representative, Commonwealth Youth Council

“I remember in our last municipal elections there were a lot of young people running in those conventions. Some of them ended up on actual slates. So, that is a positive thing I think. Also, in our village council elections there are quite a bit of young people that are putting their name up for the political electoral space. I don’t want people to limit themselves to leadership that is only electoral. There is work to do in every space, NGO, Community, etc. When it comes to young people being in politics, we have some examples. Some of our politicians joined politics very young, the Deputy Prime Minister being one of those persons, and many others who joined politics very young. I think the challenge, even for me as someone who is involved in those spaces, victimization is a real thing. So, I cant blame people who don’t want to get involved in electoral politics because of the victimization you face. It is not just you who face it. It is everyone you are intimately connected to. For me, and other young people in the space who are know are keen to join politics, there position and their stance is, if we don’t do it the system continues to strive, the system that we know haven’t served us very well over our years as an independent nation.”