Today, Tuesday, November 26, 2019 is exactly 20 years since the Generation 2000 (G2K) was First (1st) exposed to Jamaica. It was the soft Launch of the G2K. It happened on Friday, November 26, 1999.

The occasion was a Youth Conference hosted by the then Youth Leadership Council which was a Youth Section of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP). Incidentally our current Prime Minister Andrew Michael Holness was a President of the Young Leaders Council.

It was the only time the JLP had 3 days of Conference: Friday, November 26, 1999 The Youth Conference at the Jamaica Conference Centre, Saturday, November 27, 1999 the Private Session at the National Arena and Sunday, November 28, 1999 the Public Session at the National Arena.

Young Jamaica and for the First (1st) time Generation 2000 was there. A number of youngsters including James Robertson, Andrew Holness, Nigel Clarke, Vindell Kerr and Robert Bobby Montague spoke about the purpose of the G2K. Montague was the host and the others including Andrew Holness spoke on different areas of national concern.
Dr. David Panton and his newly wedded wife Lisa Hanna-Panton had just arrived from abroad the very same evening to speak at the event. I remember Panton telling a story about a little girl name Mary Clarke. He spokeon an area too.

They explained that G2K came as a result of younsters from both political sides who became tired of the political system and they wanted change. It comprised of persons from different political backgrounds, JLP and PNP. It was started as a think tank of sorts where ideas would merge where they could possibly lobby the Political Parties on a new way forward.

I am one of the very few members of the G2K who had actually attended that Youth Conference. So i literally witnessed history! I witnessed the very beginning of the G2K movement, i was there!!! Incidentally it was the day before my 20th Birthday lol. What a great time to join a youth movement. Off course the group got it’s Blessings from them Leader of the JLP, the late Edward Phillip George Seaga of Blessed Memory.

HAPPY 20TH ANNIVERSARY G2K SINCE YOUR FIRST (1ST) NATIONAL Exposure!
By: Marlon Osborne our very own political Historian