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edition: In this
AMBASSADOR SHALLOW:
AN INTERESTING JOURNEY
#askSG: LIVE CHAT WITH
AMBASSADOR IRWIN LAROCQUE
plus
C.Y.A. Committee Members and Paragon Model Management
CARICOM Youth
Ambassadors
Rep’ Orange Day
Mr. Calvert Jones, Owner and Chief Design Consultant
of the Vincentian-based company McAllister Designs,
skillfully used his camera to help the CARICOM Youth
Ambassadors’ (S.V.G.) Committee remind the general
public that violence against women and girls is
unacceptable.
Orange Day culminates on November 25, the
International Day for the Elimination of Violence
against Women.
The 25th of each month has been declared ‘Orange Day’ by
the United Nation’s Secretary-General’s Unite to End
Violence against Women campaign. The day is used to
encourage governments and advocates to take action and shed
light on issues crucial to preventing and ending violence
against women and girls.
The CARICOM Youth Ambassadors’ (S.V.G.) Committee
(C.Y.A.) responds to this call every month through the use of
social media.
To commemorate Orange Day for the month of June, the
C.Y.A. Committee partnered with the Paragon Models to host
a photo shoot, geared towards raising awareness on the issue
of violence against women and girls and its prevention.
Attired in different shades of orange and armed with printed
signs, the C.Y.A. and Paragon Models took to the streets of
Lower Kingstown, adjacent to the Youth Affairs Department
(St. Vincent) on Friday 19th June, 2015.
MALE CARICOM
YOUTH AMBASSADOR IS
PANCAP PARTICIPANT;
CARICOM YOUTH
AMBASSADORS COMMITTEE MEMBERS
DONATE BLOOD;
MESSAGES FROM THE AMBASSADORS;
SNAPSHOTS: AMBASSADORIAL
SCRAPBOOK
still to come:
Vice Dean, Ambassador Shallow
Attends Local Capacity Initiative
Project Meeting
Representatives from the various Caribbean Civil Society
Organizations assembled in Trinidad and Tobago earlier this
year to discuss the Local Capacity Initiative (LCI) project – a
three-year initiative that comprises Pan Caribbean Partnership
(PANCAP) receiving fund to provide grants to local
community service organizations in countries funded by the
President’s Emergency Programme for AIDS Relief
(PEPFAR) for activities such as policy advocacy, programme
implementation and/or building a financially diverse
organization.
The meeting, coordinated by PANCAP/PEPFAR, was
facilitated at the Health Economic Unit of the University of the
West Indies on the 28th and 29th April, 2015. The meeting’s
objectives were to unite regional organizations that support the
work of key populations in advocacy and policy to create
synergy with the project and the PANCAP’s Justice for All
programme, and agree on target countries.
Ambassador Shallow found the meeting to be productive and
fruitful, highlighting that “PANCAP, over the years, has
successfully driven many initiatives to counter the presence of
HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean region, and this project is another
demonstration of their commitment.” The Youth Ambassador
further said that he was appreciative of the opportunity to speak
on behalf of the Caribbean youth: “The invitation for a youth
representative echoes loudly the realization of the critical role
of the young people in this process, and I must commend the
Director of PANCAP, Mr. Dereck Springer and his
organization on such consciousness. On behalf of the youth of
the Caribbean, I speak confidently in saying that we are ready
and able to play our role in having a safer and healthier region.”
The seminar, chaired by Mr. Dereck Springer, was funded by
PEPFAR and USAID.
#askSG
CARICOM Youth Ambassadors Host Live Forum and Interaction
Youth from across the Region, as well as the Caribbean
Community (CARICOM) diaspora got the opportunity to
engage in a live social media interaction with
the CARICOM Secretary General Ambassador, Irwin
LaRocque, on 29 June, 2015 for two (2) hours. The event
was hosted prior to the Thirty-Sixth Meeting of the
Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM
in Barbados.
Under the topic ‘Entrepreneurship: CARICOM’s
Economic Life-jacket’, Ambassador LaRocque addressed
key concerns posted on social media sites: Facebook,
Twitter and Skype, from persons as far as London. The
Secretary General, in responding to the questions raised by
the participants, said that entrepreneurship was indeed the
life-jacket for CARICOM’s economic survival. He said
entrepreneurs should be allowed to flourish and their ideas
should be allowed to blossom. He highlighted that with
CARICOM governments being under such tight fiscal
regimes, employment through traditional means was
sometimes unavailable.
Other matters including the successes of CARICOM,
the Haiti/Dominican Republic dispute and reparations were
also discussed during the forum.
The initiative was organized and executed by the CARICOM
Youth Ambassadors under the leadership of Vice Dean for
Communications, Mr. Kishore Shallow, with support from
former Youth Ambassador, Mr. Dwayne Gutzmer
(Jamaica). Vice Dean for Regional Initiatives, Ms. Sade
Jemmott, and Youth, Mr. Mosiah Hoyte (Barbados), also
played a crucial role in organizing the event.
Adopted from today.caricom.org
Youth Ambassadors with CARICOM’s Secretary
General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque
As young people we tend to take a back seat and depend
heavily on our leaders to create opportunities for us. We
fail to realize, our important role in regional integration
and how the decisions made can affect us greatly. We
have an important role to play in building our Caribbean
Community (CARICOM) and this should never be taken
for granted.
In 1999, the Secretary General, Mr. Edwin Carrington, in
a press conference where he addressed the national and
regional media in Guyana, made an appeal for greater
progress in developing Caribbean Community. On this
occasion, he made a call for “All Hands on Deck.”
The Secretary General stressed the need for higher priority to
be given to Community Matters by Member States. The process
of education and sensitization must continue locally and with
more intensity to create the ripple effect at the regional level for
even greater results.
Too often, we as young people will turn a blind to a number of
issues affecting our Community or we depend heavily on the
government’s input. Imagine how much more we can get done
if we all played our part.
I challenge you to ask yourself, what can I do to help make a
difference in my Community? Do I keep abreast of what is
happening locally and regionally? Do I share my opinions on
social media about issues that affect us? These are but a few
questions that you can ask yourself. This allows us to deepen
integration at the local level, getting it right at home. It also
gives first-hand experience and a clear understanding of
integration and propels us to become greater advocates and
actors in the process while appreciating the efforts of our
leaders.
Let us, as future leaders, fully understand and appreciate our
Caribbean Community. It is then that we can fully own “I am
CARICOM, you are CARICOM, we are CARICOM!”
campaign.
All Hands On Deck! CARICOM FEMALE YOUTH AMBASSADOR
ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
SHANIKA JOHN
three (3) main issues affecting the region including: Energy; bolstering educational systems to build the social and economic
resilience of countries, and border concerns, namely the existing conflict between Guyana and Venezuela and humanitarian
crisis in Haiti “created by the actions of the Dominican Republic.
Also discussed was the access to concessional development financing for Small Island Developing States.
The Member States that comprise CARICOM are: Antigua and Barbuda; The Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Dominica;
Grenada; Guyana; Haiti; Jamaica; Montserrat; St. Lucia; St. Kitts and Nevis; St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Suriname and
Trinidad and Tobago. Barbados’ Prime Minister, Hon. Freundel Stuart, assumed chairmanship of CARICOM for the period
1 July to 31 December, 2015.
CARICOM’s Summit Deemed A Success
Caribbean leaders came together for CARICOM’s 36th Heads of Governments’
meeting. The event, which is held twice a year, was hosted by Barbados from
2nd – 4th July, 2015 under the theme “Leveraging CARICOM’s Human, Cultural
and Natural Assets for the Economic Development of the Community.”
According to CARICOM’s Chairman and Prime Minister of Barbados, Hon.
Freundel Stuart, representatives from the fifteen (15) Member States discussed
CARICOM YOUTH AMBASSADOR’S TENURE COMES TO
A REMARKABLE ‘END’
A M B A S S A D O R S H A L L O W: A N I N T E R E S T I N G J O U R N E Y He was highly appreciative of the opportunity and skills received
at the workshop. At the end of the final day, the young man
promised to expand his fruits and ital stall to a restaurant one day.
CEBO has changed the mindset and lives of many young persons
across the region, including S.V.G. ‘Big up’ to the entire CEBO
family!
Another important milestone for me, and by extension the
Caribbean youth, was my appointment to the Regional
Commission on Marijuana. As a Director, I joined with other
colleagues, including Vincentian-based Justice Frederick Bruce-
lyle, on the deliberation of decriminalization of marijuana in
Caribbean countries. The actualization of having a youth’s
perspective on such a project is a reflection of the confidence and
commitment that CARICOM has for the young people of this
region.
There are many other initiatives that CARICOM has and
continues to use to engage young people. The C.Y.A. Corps often
plays an integral part in these initiatives. The enthusiasm for youth
participation in critical matters of the Caribbean Community was
recently echoed by a successful social media interaction with
Secretary General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque.
The opportunities for young people in the region are many:
academic scholarships, projects, seminars, training, sports, and
more. I am cognizant and understanding that at times, these
opportunities may seem clouded or invisible, but I must reiterate
that they are available. My advice is to maintain a positive
mindset, and continue to search and explore the prospects.
As indicated earlier, I have collaborated with many constructive
individuals throughout my tenure as C.Y.A. I trust that these
engagements would have sparked positive impacts in S.V.G., and
by extension the Caribbean Community. It was certainly an
interesting, and fruitful journey. As Mrs. Pollack-Beighle puts it,
“once a C.Y.A., always a C.Y.A.” I pledge to continue lending my
unwavering support and service to the people of our very blessed
St. Vincent and the Grenadines and uniquely beautiful Caribbean.
My desire to become a CARICOM Youth Ambassador
(C.Y.A.) was driven by passion to serve the youth of our beloved
St. Vincent and the Grenadines (S.V.G.), and to learn more about
CARICOM. The C.Y.A. journey began in August 2013, when I
received my orientation in Suriname, during CARIFESTA XI.
Deputy Program Manager, Youth Development (CARICOM
Secretariat), Mrs. Yldiz Pollack-Beighle, made it clear that our
eight days in Suriname were for strictly work, and our roles were
assigned. There and then I realized that this was going to be an
interesting journey. The following two years would have lived up
to this expectation.
As CARICOM Youth Ambassador, I embraced the opportunities
to not only engage the young people of S.V.G., but also to
represent their priorities with distinction. Fortunately, I was able
to measure my representation and performance provided. One
such example that hinted I was doing something right was my
appointment as Vice Dean of Information and Communication at
the end of my first year. In this role, I was charged with leading
the Information and Communication component of the C.Y.A.
Corps.
There were many highlights throughout my tenure: I met and
interacted with some brilliant minds in the region, establishing
networks that cannot be disconnected. A standout feature of my
two years is my involvement in two CEBO workshops in S.V.G.
and Grenada. CEBO stands for Creativity for Employment and
Business Opportunity, and was geared towards exposing youth,
mainly the underprivileged, to skills of an entrepreneur. I
remember having a conversation with a participant in Grenada
who considered himself to be a ‘ghetto youth’.
KISHORE SHALLOW, CARICOM YOUTH AMBASSADOR
On Friday 12 June, 2015, the CARICOM Youth
Ambassadors’ (S.V.G.) Committee took a bold step
towards donating blood at the Milton Cato Memorial
Hospital’s Blood Bank (Kingstown, St. Vincent).
This action was taken in commemoration of World
Blood Donor Day that was recognized on Sunday 14
June, 2015.
According to the World Health Organization (W.H.O.),
the theme for this year was, ‘Thank you for saving my
life’, under the slogan, “Give freely, give often. Blood
donation matters.” It focused on thanking blood
donors who saved lives through their blood donations
and strongly encouraged more people all over the world
to donate blood regularly.
Public Relations Officer of the CARICOM Youth
Ambassadors’ (S.V.G.) Committee, Mr. Jamel
Providence, was among those present for blood
donation.
C.Y.A. Committee Donates Blood WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY
By Jamel Providence
Public Relations Officer of CYA Committee, Jamel Providence
Blood Donor at Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, 12 June, 2015
The CARICOM Youth Ambassadors’ (S.V.G.) Committee
launched its digital news stand on 9 July, 2015 on social media
site, Facebook, and electronic publishing application, Issuu.
The Committee’s Digital News Stand, spearheaded by the sub-
committee of the Publications Officer, is an online location of
a collection of brochures, newsletters and graphical content on
a variety of topics and themes that affect or are influenced by
CARICOM Member States. The first article, Suicide:
Awareness & Prevention, was geared towards raising further
awareness of the social issue of suicide and includes features
such as the causes of suicide, and handy tips on how to
approach someone who may be deemed as suicidal. The article
was inspired by the recent spurt of suicide cases in St. Vincent
and the Grenadines, and neighbouring CARICOM countries.
Male CARICOM Youth Ambassador, Kishore Shallow,
observed that it is the first that such an initiative is being
undertaken by Committee members, and that he is extremely
proud of the launch of the C.Y.A.’s (S.V.G.) Digital News
Stand.
“It is always a privilege to have young persons involved in
helping to combat the issues that are of concern to our
communities. I fully endorse this initiative and look
forward to sharing the upcoming articles,” C.Y.A.
Shallow commented.
Female CARICOM Youth Ambassador, Shanika John
expressed similar sentiments. Publications Officer,
Chelcia Ferdinand, Sabiya Francois, and Dexter
Whinfield - members of the Publications Committee who
worked assiduously in the launching of the Digital News
Stand - reiterated their commitment and dedication to
ensuring the sustenance of the initiative.
New articles are expected to be featured bimonthly,
before the quarterly publishing of the Committee’s
newsletter, C.Y.A. Vibe.
CARICOM Youth Ambassadors’
(S.V.G.) Committee Launches
Digital News Stand
INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs. Conch
1 Onion (medium)
1 Cucumber
2 Limes
METHOD:
Clean away slime from conch using salt and lime. Pound conch well,
this helps to make it tender. Boil until tender. Prepare pickle using
cucumber, onion and other seasoning. Cool conch and cut into small
pieces. Put into pickle. Decorate with parsley.
Celery
Sweet Pepper
Hot Pepper to Taste
Salt to taste
FROM OUR KITCHEN T O Y O U R T A B L E
CONCH
SOUSE
Parsley
“Mitigating the Challenges Facing our Youth:” This
was the topic of the discussion on St. Vincent and the
Grenadines’ NBC Radio’s program, Views on Issues
on Sunday 26 July, 2015. The panel comprised of
CARICOM Deputy Female Youth Ambassador,
Denisha Hector; Coordinator of National
Reconciliation, Ms. Degra Michael and Founder of the
Kenville Horne’s Sporting Academy and Queen’s
Young Leaders’ Awardee, Mr. Kenville Horne.
It was noted that youths, who are considered to be
between eleven and thirty years old and make up 63%
of CARICOM’s population, are critical to the survival
of the structures within CARICOM, such as CSME.
[Continued]
Committee and Executive members of the CARICOM
Youth Ambassadors’ (S.V.G.) Committee convened with
Trade Officers and Director of Trade, Mr. Cuthbert Knights,
in an effort to forge a relationship between the Committee
and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade,
Commerce and Information Technology as it relates to
CARICOM/CSME issues.
Among the issues discussed were future plans of networking
between the two entities to promote and advocate benefits
of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and CARICOM
Single Market and Economy (CSME) and the role of the
youth in advancing CARICOM/CSME.
Members of the C.Y.A. Committee expressed a sincere
interest and desire to work along with the Ministry where
regional integration efforts are concerned.
The meeting, which took place at the Ministry on Friday 24
July, 2015, was chaired by Mr. Cuthbert Knights and
attendees included CARICOM Female Youth Ambassador,
Ms. Shanika John; Deputy CARICOM Female Youth
Ambassador, Ms. Denisha Hector; Public Relations Officer
of the C.Y.A. Committee, Mr. Jamel Providence;
Publications Officer, Ms. Chelcia Ferdinand; Trade Officer
(CARICOM Single Market and Economy Focal Point), Ms.
Sylvonne Jack and other Trade Officers and Committee
Members.
C.Y.A. Committee/Ministry of
Foreign Affairs Forge Working
Relationship
Director of Trade, CARICOM Female Youth Ambassador and
CYA Committee Members and Trade Officers
Moderator and Panelists on NBC’s ‘Views on Issues’
[Continued]
Among the challenges listed by the panelists were:
unemployment; poor parenting; sexual, drug & alcohol and
domestic abuse; peer pressure, and lack of youth
empowerment.
Several suggestions and possible solutions addressing these
challenges were put forward by C.Y.A. (S.V.G.)
Committee’s Representative, Ms. Denisha Hector,
including the need for greater promotion of the parenting
classes currently done by the Government of St. Vincent and
the Grenadines, the need for parents to emphasize a respect
for God by children, a need for more community-based
groups and active role models to offer guidance in the case
of absent or delinquent parents. A call was also made for
persons to offer more support to youth businesses, such as
easier access to loans to foster an entrepreneurial spirit to
help combat unemployment.
The program, ‘Views on Issues’, was moderated by Youth
Officer of the Youth Affairs Department (St. Vincent and
the Grenadines), Mr. Philcol Jeffers.
The CARICOM Youth Ambassadors (St. Vincent and the
Grenadines) foster an environment of excellence and encourage
the members of their Committee to participate in community and
personal development ventures. Here are a few noteworthy
accomplishments:
1. CARICOM Female Youth Ambassador, Ms. Shanika
John, was awarded an academic scholarship to further
her studies at the University of the West Indies, Mona
Campus.
2. Dr. Racquel Wilson, long-standing member of the
Committee (2012 – present), completed her Medical
Degree in July 2015 and was chosen to serve as a mentor
in the Queen’s Young Leader programme.
3. Ms. Chelcia Ferdinand, Publications Officer of the
CARICOM Youth Ambassadors’ (S.V.G.) Committee
(2013 – present) was elected Vice President Public
Relations of the Imperial Champions Toastmasters Club
(St. Vincent) to serve in the Toastmasters’ year 2015 –
2016.
4. J’nee Francois, a member of the C.Y.A. Committee and
Publications Committee, now serves as a Legal Clerk in
the Litigation Department.
Fo
r Y
ou
r B
en
efi
t…
25.06.15 | Orange Day Photo Shoot 01.05.15 | Vermont Nature Trail Hike 25.06.15 | More Orange Day Shots!
The CARICOM Youth Ambassadors (S.V.G.) and their Committee thank you for your continued support. Look out for our next issue!
CARICOM YOUTH AMBASSADORS’ (S.V.G) COMMITTEE
Youth Affairs Department
Rose Place
Kingstown
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
E-mail: [email protected] | [email protected]
Facebook: CARICOM Youth Ambassadors SVG
Twitter: @cyasvg