The recent call by Montego Bay-based pastor Glen Samuels for young men to serve compulsory military duty follows a similar proposal several weeks ago by businessman Mark Kerr-Jarrett, also from that resort city, for the introduction of a national labour draft to be operated by the military.

Call the programme what you may, what is clear is that there is an urgent need to channel the energies of the country's vast number of low-skilled and directionless young men into constructive activities.

The need for this kind of social interventionist programme is impatient of debate. Our young men are swelling the ranks of the unemployed, the idle, the criminal-minded, and those violently killed.

Indeed, Pastor Samuels himself was held up by an armed young man whom he convinced to turn from the error of his ways. The pastor's call for a national military draft was made while attending a thanksgiving service for a fellow pastor Egnal Grant, who was recovering from an attack by gunmen.

It is against the background of successfully transforming the lives of young men at risk that Pastor Samuels has called for the introduction of a programme aimed at behaviour modification. The call is timely and urgent.

Throughout the 18-year life of the People's National Party administration, there have been piecemeal efforts at addressing youths at risk. Even the National Youth Service (NYS) was re-introduced on a limited scale and on a voluntary basis.

At a Gleaner Editors' forum held prior to the recent general election, then national security minister, Dr. Peter Phillips, expressed reluctance to support a mandatory labour draft, arguing that social intervention initiatives specific to troubled communities were being effective in countering delinquency among youths.

But it is time the pussyfooting stops. The Bruce Golding-led government has an opportunity to make a real and lasting impact on arresting delinquency among young men. It requires the political will to stare down those who will howl protests at the idea of a mandatory military service or labour draft.

But with the reality of its governing in the absence of an overwhelming mandate, the incumbent administration will probably balk at the idea of trying to implement mandatory service of any kind.

Already, there is some level of agreement across the political divide on the need for some compulsory social interventionist programme aimed at youths. The Minister of Education, Andrew Holness, is on record in the previous Parliament arguing in favour of this; so too is Opposition member, Dr. Donald Rhodd, a former state minister in charge of the NYS. Support funding could come from the HEART Trust/National Training Agency, with the multilateral and other donor agencies assisting.

Over to you, Prime Minister Golding. There needs to be an urgent meeting of the minds on halting youth delinquency. And there is no need to re-invent the wheel, many countries have adopted and implemented mandatory two-year inscription of young school leavers - directing them into productive enterprise. We can examine and adopt policies that are best suited to our needs.

The idea need not be sold as forced service, but rather as a national programme aimed at giving opportunities to the thousands who are currently sitting idly in communities across the island. Many will sniff at any such programmes, but many others will respond positively. The proposal should not be dismissed out of hand.