(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Youth – Making the Caribbean is the theme of a four-day Caribbean Youth Exchange set for Port Au Prince, Haiti, this week-end, as the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development (CCYD) steps up its programme of sensitisation on its research findings, ahead of the proposed Heads of Government Summit on Youth, later this year.
The Karibe Hotel, Juvenat, Petion-Ville, Port-au-Prince, will be the scene of the activities set for 9 -12 July. The Youth Exchange is funded by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID) with support from the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Civic Action, Haiti and the CARICOM Secretariat.
The Caribbean Youth Exchange will bring together a wide cross section of young people from across the Region, but particularly from Member States and Associate Member countries to promote Caribbean cultural identity; heighten awareness of issues relating to regional integration and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) and most importantly, to sensitise participants to the research findings of the CCYD.
The CARICOM Commission on Youth Development was mandated by the 27th Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government to provide a full scale analysis of the challenges and opportunities for youth in the CSME, and to make recommendations on how to their well-being could be improved. The Commissioners have completed their research and, in tandem with Officers of the Secretariat, had been going across the Region, conducting seminars, focus group discussions and sensitisation sessions to ensure full participation of youth in the process leading up to submission of the Report at this Special Summit. The Summit will discuss the findings and recommendations coming from the CCYD Report and to decide on a plan of action for youth engagement, empowerment and participation in the Community.
According to Dr Heather Johnson, CARICOM Secretariat’s Deputy Programme Manager for Youth Development, “the programme for the Exchange is a delightful blend of interactive sessions, community interactions, site visits, cultural exchanges and discussion fora.”
Participants she said will have the opportunity to “share information about their country, learn about other countries in the Region, build networks, showcase skills and talents and learn the positives about Haiti.”
The group will therefore focus on specific activities which include information sharing; a Caribbean culture night where participants will have the opportunity to showcase some aspect of your country’s culture; community interventions; meeting with the President of Haiti and business sessions.
