BACKGROUND and OVERVIEW Presented by Dwayne Gutzmer
Overview of CARICOM Mandate, Activities & Objectives Members Structures Youth Engagement Activities of the Human and Social Directorate / Youth Desk Youth Developmental Issues Alignment with CARICOM Youth Development Acton Plan (CYDAP) CARICOM Youth Ambassador Programme (CYAP) Programme Mandate and Objectives Structure / Activities / Achievement Conclusion
CARICOM, a 40 year old institution, has among it main purposes; promoting economic integration and cooperation among its members, ensuring that the benefits of integration are equitably shared, and Coordinate foreign policy.
The secretariat headquarters is based in Georgetown, Guyana and its major activities involve; coordinating economic policies and development planning; devising and instituting special projects for the less-developed countries within its jurisdiction; operating as a regional single market for many of its members (CARICOM Single Market); and handling regional trade disputes.
1. To improve standards of living and work; the full employment of labour and other factors of production; 2. accelerated, coordinated and sustained economic development and convergence; 3. expansion of trade and economic relations with third States; 4. enhanced levels of international competitiveness; 5. organization for increased production and productivity; 6. achievement of a greater measure of economic leverage and effectiveness of Member States in dealing with third States, groups of States and entities of any description and the enhanced co-ordination of Member States foreign and foreign economic policies and enhanced functional cooperation.
The principal Organs of the Community (a) the Conference of Heads of Government (b) the Community Council of Ministers Principal Organs assisted by the following Organs: (a) The Council for Finance and Planning (b) The Council for Trade and Economic Development (c) The Council for Foreign and Community Relations (d) The Council for Human and Social Development (e) The Council for National Security and Law Enforcement and serviced by The CARICOM Secretariat, headed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Community, the Secretary General
While activities related to your engagement and involvement is cross-cutting among the organs of CARICOM, most of the responsibility lies within the Human & Social Directorate. Human and Social Directorate reports to The Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) and has under it purview; - Youth - Sport - Health -Culture - Education - Sustainable development - Gender and Development
Roughly 64% of the regions population is below 30 years old (CCYD Report)
PIC of CCYD REPORT In March 2007 the CARICOM Heads of Government launched a Commission to do a a full scale analysis of the challenges & opportunities for youth in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME); and make recommendations to improve their well being and empowerment
It s not realistic to dream There are no opportunities to fulfill them In 5 years I will be dead, struggling or incarcerated In 5 years I will make progress to my aspirations Life is just so hard you have to fraid you get AIDS, fraid you get shoot, fraid you get rob, this life just so hard, you, live for God and hope for the best. We don t lack creativity, talent or ideas. I go down the street and see things manufactured by gifted street kids using simple juice boxes - give them education. Give me the means to express what is inside of me, set up my own enterprise give me training and guaranteed financial support; a legislative framework to break down monopolies, oligarchies. When you believe in people s capabilities we can bring wealth out of ourselves
Issues arising from the Report of the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development Recognize the importance of youth in Regional Integration and the CSME Create enabling environment for personal/social development of youth Develop comprehensive regional youth policy programmes and structures Strengthen national youth policy programmes and structures Promote entrepreneurial development as a means to sustain livelyhoods Underscore the importance Sports and culture
The CCYD report called for the development of new and innovative programmes and strategies towards youth engagement as well as a review of existing programmes; Some of the responses includes; Second Chance Programmes Activities looking at the reduction of Crime/Gang Involvement Activities looking at improving the education system (including technological & vocational) Activities looking at harnessing the talent of young people Youth Focus within the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) Creativity for Business Employment & Opportunity (CEBO) CARICOM Youth Development Action Plan (CYDAP) Role of the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors Programme
Overview The CARICOM Youth Development Action Plan (CYDAP) 2012 2017 is a holistic and multisectoral institutional framework for national policy, integrated planning and action which operationalizes the Declaration of Paramaribo on the Future of Youth in the Caribbean Community. Purpose The CYDAP is a tool to improve access to and the quality and quantity of opportunities available to adolescents and youth between the ages of ten to twentynine (10-29) at school, community, national and regional levels for their safety and security; optimum education, skills, values, health, wellbeing and empowerment; and full social, economic and political participation in society as architects and enablers of development.
1. Protection, Safety and/ Security - Enable the creation of protective environments to foster resilience and ensure adolescent and youth safety and security; 2. Health and Wellbeing - Improve the health and holistic wellbeing of youth; 3. Education and Economic Empowerment - Build adolescent and youth capacity for sustainable livelihoods through quality and relevant education and economic empowerment; 4. Participation, Governance and Partnerships - Ensure and enhance adolescent and youth participation at all levels of decision-making, nationally and regionally; 5. Culture, Identity and Citizenship enhance the development and appreciation of Caribbean culture and identity and commitment to national development and regional integration; 6. Integrated and Coordinated policy and institutional framework Create the policy and institutional environment to support mainstreamed adolescent and youth development at the national and regional levels
The CARICOM Youth Ambassador programme aims to educate young people about and encourage their participation in regional integration and development and advise policymakers on formulating development policies and programmes which address youth needs and concerns. The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Youth Ambassador Programme (CYAP) is the Community s mechanism for deepening levels of youth participation and partnership in regional integration and in broad social and economic development processes. CARICOM Youth Ambassadors (CYAs) are a regional network of young Caribbean nationals mandated by CARICOM Heads of Governments to advocate for and educate young people about regional priorities such as HIV and AIDS and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy. CYAs perform a dual role, addressing youth issues at the national level within a regional strategic framework, as well as bringing national issues to the attention of the Region s policy makers and planners.
The CARICOM Secretariat, with support from development partners, equip CYAs with appropriate information knowledge, skills, attitudes and resources, and provide spaces and opportunities for them to participate in decision making and programme/policy development at the regional level. The Programme is coordinated by the CARICOM Secretariat; facilitated at the national level by Departments responsible for Youth Affairs; and implemented through multiple networking and collaborative relationships with stakeholders such as private-public sector agencies, development partners, National Youth Councils/organisations and retired CARICOM Youth Ambassadors.
The CYAP selected as implementing agency for the PANCAP/Global Fund Mini Grant (HIV and AIDS) programme. Within a 2 year period 14 Community-based Organisations (CBOs) in 7 countries were awarded grants for HIV and AIDS prevention, care and support and stigma and discrimination projects; the following youth friendly interactive community resource mapping modules developed and used to train more than 1,000 youth in 9 countries: HIV and AIDS sensitisation, Monitoring and Evaluation and project development/proposal writing; and a Regional Youth Support network formed comprising CYAs and past beneficiaries of the Mini Grant Programme and providing planning, training, monitoring and evaluation services. 3 retired CYAs appointed to the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development, one as co-chair. The CYAP provides the Youth Commission with technical assistance and support. Youth Focus institutionalized in CARIFESTA, developed, implemented and managed by CYAS and youth networks.
The event format was revised to among other things place more attention for the involvement of youth in the planning and implementation of the festival An opportunity to showcase the talent of the regions youth in Arts & Culture Suriname, August 16-25, 2013 A training programe aimed at developing the entrepreneurial spirit of atrisk/vulnerable youth and to equip them with basic skills needed to start a business as well as look at behavior and conduct in the world of work.
Shifting trends for the Digital Youth Todays young people grow up surrounded by digital devices and regularly uses these devices to interact with other people and the outside world. Technology is changing everything around us; The Banking Industry The Newspaper delivery methods The features in our car So too must policy makers embrace this change and foster a culture of innovation & creativity!!
http://www.data360.org/dsg.aspx?data_set_group_id=645
Instead of the volume of printed materials we must move to more accessible & youth friendly materials (ipad/kindle/mobile).
Instead of continuing we must to instead invest in train peer educators developing to their capacities & execute duties traditionally equipping them with tools needed to take advantage of current technological trends!
The CYAP hosted a Social Media Interaction with the Secretary General of CARICOM reaching over 9000 young people across the Caribbean.
The CYAP hosted a Twitter Relay A Youth Friendly way of having young people discussing the problems facing the Caribbean youth as well as look at the type of Caribbean they want to live in; The event s total reach was 8613 persons, The estimated level of exposure was in the vicinity of 74000 persons. The kind of Community in which youth of the Region wish to live?
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must be a time for implementation and action, must be a time when sustained action replaces rhetoric, must be a time where each word and every action from our regional leaders evoke an awakening of the talents, innovativeness, creativity and boldness of our people and more specifically our young people, must be a time where unlocking, creating and promoting regional opportunities for young people takes center stage, and must be a time where every citizen not only feels connected to this regional thrust, but more importantly understand the vital role they play in its success!!
Going forward, as a REGION we must seek to; reach the youth where they are! Building an Online community ( Policy support, Advocacy, etc) Texting Interactive face to face presentation ensure that our activities / strategies / programmes / presentations evoke the necessary excitement needed to keep the attention of the youth! Less words more pictures, visual aids, animation Less talk/lecture more action/activities
Going forward as a REGION we must seek to; Put the technology to work for us Gather data Dissemination of information Connect with stakeholders continually top up our own knowledge on current technological trends in order to have meaningful youth-adult partnership Continually engage our youth on Issues that affect them and possible solutions The role they see themselves playing in the solution Resources needed (financial, technical, etc)
Lets see Youth as a creative valuable resource asset and a human to be developed, and not a problem to be solved
THANK YOU!