The growing need for youth involvement in the national, regional and global developmental agendas has been realized and acknowledged by those at the governance level. In an effort to further enhance the work of the Youth Ambassadors throughout the Caribbean, the CARICOM Secretariat today commenced a four-day Orientation and Capacity-building Workshop.
Minister within the Ministry of Education, Nicolette Henry welcomed the Youth Ambassadors; many of whom are visiting Guyana for the first time. Addressing those gathered at the Turkeyen CARICOM Secretariat, Minister Henry spoke of the youth projects being undertaken in Guyana; highlighting the recent relaunch of youth week observance in Guyana after a little more than two decades.
Key to the many youth based programmes being undertaken is Government’s recent launched ‘Youth Innovation Project of Guyana (YIPoG)’.
The workshop is designed to educate the CYAs about their role and function and to build their capacity for advocacy and action in relation to relevant international and regional development mandates, plans and programmes. These include the Caribbean Single Market and Economy, the Caricom Strategic Plan, the CARICOM Youth Development Action Plan (CYDAP) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as well as a range of thematic issues such as Youth in Agriculture, Culture, and creative industries, Crime and Security, Human resource development and energy.
During the next few days, the workshop will also address the development of a Caribbean Youth Action Plan for the period 2017-2019. “This gathering of Youth Ambassadors is one which we all welcome … It is an important opportunity for youth leadership development and participation at the highest level in the Caribbean Community,” as was noted by the Assistant Secretary-General, Human, and Social Development, Dr. Douglas Slater.
Deputy Representative of UNICEF – Mr. Paolo Marchi, who also delivered remarks today emphasized that the workshop will not only benefit the CYA but will also impact the lives of the youth population within the respective nations.