C.Y.A VIBE

CARICOM YOUTH AMBASSADORS S.V.G ISSUE 1, EDITION 1

Saturday 1st March, 2014 marked the official welcoming of the

CARICOM Youth Ambassadors’ S.V.G Committee’s newest

members!

When the Youth Organization – a branch of the Caribbean

Community (CARICOM) – made the appeal for interested

candidates, 10 males and females enthusiastically answered the

call to serve and positively contribute to youth development and

raising awareness for regional integration.

,

At the initiation ceremony held at 3:00 p.m. at the

Beachcombers Hotel, Ms. Gweneth Anthony, a

representative from the Youth Affairs Department,

urged the newest members to be an example to their

peers and not allow others to belittle them because

of their tender ages.

Meanwhile, the Minister of National Mobilization,

Social Development, Family, Gender Affairs, Persons

with Disabilities and Youth, the Honourable

Frederick Stephenson, challenged the Committee

not to become complacent and view themselves as

just another ordinary organization, as the

Committee is a part of something meaningful. He

pledged his continued support in the group’s

endeavours.

Some of the newly initiated members were also

elected to serve as executive members in an internal

election held earlier this year.

The dynamic and diverse committee is charged with

the responsibility of advancing the efforts in

creating a united, internationally-competitive

Caribbean Community by empowering adolescents

and young adults.

CARICOM MALE AND FEMALE YOUTH AMBASSADORS – KISHORE

SHALLOW (FURTHEST RIGHT) AND TAMIRA BROWNE (FURTHEST LEFT) -

ALONG WITH THEIR 2013/14 COMMITTEE AND EXECUTIVE MEMBERS.

CARICOM YOUTH AMBASSADORS’ S.V.G WELCOMES NEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS!

CARICOM YOUTH AMBASSADORS S.V.G COMMITTEE

ISSUE 1, EDITION 1

2

NEW CARICOM CHAIR “…and in my term as Chairman of CARICOM, one of the

issues...that I want dealt with…is the deleterious effects

of climate change.”

The Honourable, Dr. Ralph

Gonsalves, on January 1,

2014 began his reign as

Chair of CARICOM.

On January 6, 2014 – in his

first meeting with

CARICOM Heads serving in

this capacity – Dr.

Gonsalves outlined that he

would use his six-month

term as Chairman to

address the deleterious

effects that climate changes

are having on the social and

economic aspects of the

region. This came in light of

the detrimental effects of

the weather trough that left

its mark in St. Lucia,

Dominica and St. Vincent

and the Grenadines during

the 2013 Christmas period,

which claimed almost 20

lives in the Windward

Islands.

“And in my term as Chair of

CARICOM, this is one of the

issues…that I want dealt

with…in a continually

structured way, has to do

with the deleterious effects

of climate change and to get the

requisite responses from the

international community in relation

to this matter,” Gonsalves stated.

Gonsalves presided over his first

meeting of Heads of Government of

the CARICOM at the 25th

Intersessional Meeting held in St.

Vincent and the Grenadines.

Dr. Gonsalves replaces the Prime

Minister of the Republic of Trinidad

and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar,

as Chair of CARICOM.

Chair of CARICOM, the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves.

FLAVOURS OF CARICOM

Sayings and proverbs from across

the region:

ADOPTED FROM WIWORDS.COM

C.Y.A (S.V.G) COMMITTEE WELCOMES OUR

“Cat a ketch rat, but he a teef he massa fish.”

Good and evil often come from the same source.

“A crab never forget he hole.”

There’s no place like home.

“Alligator shouldn’t call hog long mout.”

You shouldn’t criticize others when you have the same faults.

“Before monkey buy trousers, him affi know weh fi put him

tail.”

Make sure the fashion of others suit you before you rush

to adopt them.

“Cock mout kill cock.”

Choose your words with care lest you draw unpleasant or

unwanted attention to yourself.

CARICOM YOUTH AMBASSADORS’ S.V.G COMMITTEE ISSUE 1, EDITION 1

3

PANELISTS (left to right): Mr. Ayodele

Pompey, Counsel Mikhail Charles, Empress

Modupe Olunfunmi, Mr. Terral Mapp and Dr.

St. Clair Thomas.

“Free up the Herb?” creates a stir!

Section of the audience at ‘Free up the Herb?’

listening keenly to Mr. Ayodele Pompey,

presenting on the Christian Perspective.

Following sporadic debates across

the Caribbean’s small economies

about the decriminalization of

cannabis, the CARICOM Youth

Ambassadors’ S.V.G. Committee

took hold of the discussion on

December 12th, 2013 by hosting an

interactive panel discussion

dubbed ‘Free up the Herb?’

The aim of the session was to give

an informed, civil-friendly

overview of the potential pros and

cons of legalizing the substance – a

topic that has triggered regional

discussion among civil and high-

profile minds alike.

The distinguished panelists, all

from different backgrounds and

beliefs, gave a brief account

either for or against the

substance being decriminalized.

The balanced board of panelists

tickled the appetites of the live

and online (Facebook, Twitter

and Star FM Radio Station)

audience: Mr. Terral Mapp was a

highlight of the evening, making

his economist’s presentation on

the subtopic “Ganjanomics.” The

other four panelists – Dr. St. Clair

Thomas (medical aspect);

Counsel Mikhail Charles (legal

discussion); Mr. Ayodele Pompey

(Christian view) and Empress

Modupe Olufunmi (Rastafarian

view) did not disappoint the

insatiable levels of interest on the

usually sensitive issue.

‘Free up the Herb?’ came at a timely moment and was

triggered by the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the

Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, the newly enacted Chair

of CARICOM. His letter to the then Chair of CARICOM,

Kamla Persad-Bissessar (Prime Minister of The Republic

of Trinidad and Tobago) made a call for an informed

discussion on medical and other uses of marijuana. P.M.

Gonsalves, in his letter, said that a “reasoned debate” is

necessary in the context of marijuana legalization, since

the plant has proven beneficial uses, even though its use

and abuse has impacted the health and security of many

people.

‘Free up the Herb?’ was held at the Frenches House at

7:00 p.m. It is expected and avidly anticipated, as outlined

by some members of the audience, that follow-up

discussions will take place with regards to marijuana

legalization.

QUICK FACT:

Marijuana refers to the dried leaves,

flowers, stems, and seeds from the hemp

plant Cannabis sativa, which contains the

psychoactive (mind-altering) chemical

delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), as well

as other related compounds.


ISSUE 1, EDITION 1

4

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a

smile, a listening ear, or the smallest act of caring, all

of which have the potential to turn a life around.”

– Leo Buscaglia

TRAGEDY.

On Christmas Eve 2013, on a night when persons were

busy making preparations for the holiday, St. Vincent and

the Grenadines was hit with as much as 11” of rain over a

5-hour period. Needless to say, this was detrimental to our

lands, property and more importantly, lives. Many were

left to mourn the loss of loved ones, while estimates for

repairs to damaged homes reached at least EC$10 million.

HOPE.

The C.Y.A. (S.V.G) Committee took the initiative to journey

to the Leeward end of the island, which was most severely

hit. Armed with water, clothing, high spirits and beaming

smiles, we sought not only to ease physical constraints, but

to bring emotional relief as well. The C.Y.A’s efforts were

concentrated on an emergency shelter in Spring Village,

LENDING A HELPING HAND… where members got the unique opportunity to interact

with survivors and others affected.

The C.Y.A (S.V.G) Committee continues to work diligently to achieve the objectives of the CARICOM.

“THE POWER OF A

SMILE…”


5

CARICOM Youth Male Ambassador, Kishore Shallow, attended a Regional

Youth Forum held at the CARICOM Secretariat in Georgetown, Guyana from

21st to 22nd January, 2014.

The trip was made to facilitate Ambassador Shallow’s participation at the

two day seminar of the CARICOM Youth Development Action Plan (CYDAP),

which is being developed to guide national policy and integrated planning

and action regarding youth. The Regional Youth Forum’s objectives were to

create youth- and environmentally-friendly educational materials and a tool

kit for stakeholders in the implementation of CYDAP, as well as gender-

responsive and youth-facilitating marketing and communication strategies

to promote CYDAP.

CYA Shallow, in giving an overview of the forum, outlined that “the

engagement of the youth in development planning must be a part of the

recipe for a successful region. The realization has certainly been realized

CARICOM, and as they continue to champion the involvement of the youth,,

utmost credit must be given to Secretary General Ambassador Irwin

LaRocque and his staff.” Ambassador Shallow highlighted that during the

forum, he had the opportunity to interact, dialogue and participate in

creative planning and execution of various tasks.

The forum saw youths from organizations, including CARICOM Youth

Ambassadors from across the region.

AMBASSADOR SHALLOW REPRESENTS AT REGIONAL YOUTH FORUM

PENITENT:

“Someone who is sorry for

something bad that they have

done and wants to change their

behaviour, especially because of

religious beliefs.”

Macmillan Dictionary

Still to come…

‘NEVER AGAIN

SLAVERY’

+

FACTS YOU

PROBABLY

NEVER KNEW.

“ENGAGEMENT OF

THE YOUTH IN

DEVELOPMENT

PLANNING MUST BE

PART OF THE

RECIPE FOR A

SUCCESSFUL

REGION…”.

KEEP CALM AND

LEARN A NEW

WORD.


ISSUE 1, EDITION 1

6

ON THE 25TH OF EACH MONTH, HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO TO

ORANGE YOUR WORLD:

ON THE 25TH OF APRIL, 2014 (and each month after), wear orange and share your photos

@cyasvg using the hashtag #OrangeDay.

HOLD DISCUSSIONS with the CYA Committee Members on the Facebook page: CARICOM Youth

Ambassadors SVG. Let the world know that violence against women is still a major concern and that

you do not condone it!

SUPPORT other initiatives in your community.

IT’S NOT A SECRET – tell a friend! Encourage a friend/family member to join in the fight for ending

violence against women.

orange your world In July 2012, the United

Nations’ Secretary

General’s campaign –

“UniTe to End Violence

against Women” –

resulted in the 25th of

every month being

declared as ORANGE

DAY. The C.Y.A’s (S.V.G)

Committee supports this

venture each month!

CARICOM YOUTH AMBASSADORS S.V.G ISSUE 1, EDITION 1

Members of the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors’ S.V.G Committee –

P.R.O, Shanika John and 2-year member, Shernell Hadaway –

participated in a ‘Community Alerts’ two-day project hosted by

the National Emergency Management Office (NEMO) on January

21st – 22nd, 2014. The initiative was taken after St. Vincent and the

Grenadines, Dominica and St. Lucia suffered extensive

infrastructural damage in the Christmas Eve 2013 Floods.

The workshop was targeted at “Effective Implementation in the

Caribbean through Integrated Early Warning Systems”, in which

one of the main objectives was to improve awareness to natural

disasters and associated preparations and response protocols.

The C.Y.A Committee continues to support all initiatives taken for

the holistic development of the region.

C.Y.A. COMMITTEE MEMBERS REP AT NEMO’S WORKSHOP

Black History Month is an annual

celebration and recognition of the

many achievements of persons of

the Black descent over the years.

Historians, actors, singers, writers,

athletes, politicians, students – men

and women – are recognized for

their brilliant contributions. The

CYA’s Facebook page was very

active and full of life – and colour.

Each day, from February 6th – 28th,

each CYA Committee Member

made a special post about a chosen

Black icon. This initiative was

suitably called the CARIBBEAN

HALL OF FAME. Here are a few

excerpts:

GEORGE LAMMING:

“A strong opposer of colonialism, Lamming sees the lack of cultural identity in this region as a direct result of the history of colonial rule.”

ELLSWORTH MCGRANAHAN “SHAKE” KEANE

“Shake” Keane was born in St. Vincent in 1927. By the late 1950s and into the 1960s, he was considered one of the best flugel horn players in Europe and became known in international jazz circles.”

DR. MYLES MUNROE

“He has spent the last thirty years travelling

the world training leaders in business,

education, government and religion. He

delivers his message of personal and

professional development to more than

500,000 people yearly.”

LEARIE CONSTANTINE:

“Before 1944 it was common for West

End hotels to refuse accommodation

to black people. In 1943 this happened

to Learie Constantine, one of the

world’s most distinguished cricketers.

He sued the hotel and won his case. As

C.L.R. James put it, he revolted

“against the revolting contrast

between his first-class status as a

cricketer and his third-class status as

a man”.

His legal victory was a turning point

in the struggle against the humiliating

forms of colour bar in Britain.”

VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR MORE:

CARICOM Youth Ambassadors S.V.G

Shanika John, CYA’s S.V.G Committee’s Public Relations Officer (left) and Shernell Hadaway


ISSUE 1, EDITION 1

8

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY TWEET/CHAT A #SUCCESS!

On Saturday 8th March, 2014 – International

Women’s Day – The CARICOM Youth Ambassadors

Corps hosted a tweet/chat discussion under the

palatable theme, “Is Equality for Women Progress

for All?”

Between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., women and men

across the Caribbean region participated in

meaningful tweets that saluted and empowered

women and highlighted some of the issues facing

females today.

Persons who took part in the ‘#IWD Tweet Chat

Saturday’ were treated to inspirational quotes,

mind-boggling questions, passionate tweets and a

general air of awe towards women across the

region and the world.

In case you missed it, here are a few highlights!

“The advancement of our region relies heavily on equal contribution from men & women!”

@KishShallow

“When our society values & respects girls as equals, they are more likely to be healthy and safe & have better and satisfying careers.”

@TamiBe

“The gap between women’s potential & our reality is societal suicide. The world needs us (women). Some are just afraid to admit this.”

@Chel_Lioness

“We cannot succeed when half of us are held back...#IWD2014”

@MalalaFund

“We must support women to be role models for girls.”

@cyapinfo

“Question is not who is going to let me, question is who is going to stop me. Salute to women for their perseverance…” @smritiirani

Youth Ambassadors’ S.V.G Committee 2014 Natesha Alexander Tamira Browne (Female Youth Ambassador) Rachael Quashie Donique Billingy

Lauren Ash Kishore Shallow (Male Youth Ambassador) Rolicia Spence Ayana Solomon

Camiesha Bascombe Aliaka Jones (Deputy Female Youth Ambassador) Racquel Wilson Kemuel Walters

Ariane Baynes Andre Browne (Deputy Male Youth Ambassador) Rhea Lewis-Ashton Jai-len Williams

Vatalie Caesar Shanika John (Public Relations Officer) Kemuel Stapleton Dearesa Cyrus

Raven Cruickshank Junelle Quow-James (Treasurer) Theron Tommy Shernell Hadaway

Emil Dougan Yaphet Niles (Secretary) Kenrife Matthias

Chelcia Ferdinand (Publications Officer)


9

When the clouds turn dark

And the sea rages

When close seems afar

And your heart races

Be strong.

When all your friends are gone

And you’re agonized from this sojourn,

Just believe and keep on hoping

That soon you will be living

To be strong.

Be strong

For you

Be strong

For me

Just stand firm and hold on.

Hold onto what you’ve been taught

For in time, your reward will be sought

So stand for something

Lest you fall for anything.

Anything or anyone

That will make you weak

Time – this life waits on no man

So show us now ‘who you be’.

A bold

Humble

Proud

Ambitious

Man

Woman

Boy

Girl…

So rise again

Just like the sun

To shine again

Bright as the stars

And all will know

From the glow

That you are…

I am…

STRONG.

Kenrife Matthias

Member

CARICOM Youth Ambassadors’ (S.V.G) Committee

BE

STRONG


ISSUE 1, EDITION 1

10

International Remembrance Day of the Victims of Slavery and the

Transatlantic Slave Trade was observed this year, on March 25th.

To commemorate this day and to honour those who terribly

suffered and died at the hands of slavery, the C.Y.A’s Committee

held a movie night, open to the general public.

Appropriately called ‘Never Again Slavery’, the night was

dedicated to highlighting the injustices that result from prejudice

and racism – one of the main aims of International Remembrance

Day of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

The chosen movie, 12 Years a Slave, told the true story of Solomon

Northup – a free black man living in the pre-Civil war United

States who was abducted, sold into slavery, then battled not only

to survive, but to preserve his dignity.

‘Never Again Slavery’ was held at the S.O.V Night Lounge at 7:00

p.m. and is expected to perpetuate throughout the year for

continual awareness.

Several members of the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors’

(S.V.G) Committee and owner of S.O.V.

‘NEVER AGAIN SLAVERY’: International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic

Slave Trade.

FACTS

SLAVES CONSTRUCTED MORE

THAN 9, 500 MILES OF

RAILROAD TRACK BY 1860.

AT 17, SLAVE MEN WERE

SHORTER THAN 96 PER CENT OF

MEN TODAY AND SLAVE

WOMEN WERE SHORTER THAN

80 PER CENT OF

CONTEMPORARY WOMEN.

THE AVERAGE BIRTH WEIGHT

OF SLAVE INFANTS WAS LESS

THAN 5.5LBS.

FEW SLAVES LIVED INTO OLD

AGE. BETWEEN 1830 AND 1860,

ONLY 10 PER CENT OF SLAVES IN

NORTH AMERICA WERE OVER 50

YEARS OLD.


11

March 21, 2014 was celebrated at

World Down Syndrome Day. To

show appreciation for persons

with disabilities, the CARICOM

Youth Ambassadors’ S.V.G

Committee visited The School for

Children with Special Needs in

Kingstown, St. Vincent. The group

went armed with games and

educational materials. They left

with an awakened sense of

understanding and a heart full of

love! A disability is not a weakness.

The S.V.G Girl Guides Association

celebrated 100 years of molding

girls into young ladies in fine style!

Of course, C.Y.As were present and

ever ready. Look at these two at

the #100STRONG Relay held on

March 14th, 2014. The ‘Relay of

Relays’ was held country-wide and

was well represented by members

of the Association.

CARICOM Youth Ambassadors,

Tamira Browne and Kishore

Shallow presented to the S.V.G

Girls’ High School on February 13th,

2014 on the topic: Regional

Economic Integration & Cultural

Integration in order for Caribbean

economies to globally function.

What a great way to pick up

momentum in raising awareness

for Regional Integration!


ISSUE 1, EDITION 1

12

CARICOM YOUTH AMBASSADORS’ (S.V.G) COMMITTEE

Youth Affairs Department

Rose Place

Kingstown

St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Phone: (784) 456 – 1087

E-mail: [email protected] | [email protected]

http://www.youthaffairsdepartmentsvg.com/

CARICOM Youth Ambassadors SVG

@cyasvg

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.youthaffairsdepartmentsvg.com/

C.Y.A VIBE

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