Two National Youth Ambassadors recently attended separate events relating to climate change, gender equality, and comprehensive sexuality education.
Esquire Henry, who’s also a Caricom Youth Ambassador and member of the United Nations Youth Advisory Group for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, participated in ICPD30—International Conference on Population and Development.
This global youth dialogue was held in Cotonou, Benin, from April 4-5, under the theme “A new generation’s vision for the ICPD”. It was hosted by the governments of Benin, Denmark and the Netherlands, along with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Henry, 21, was among 200 youth-led and youth-serving organisations, leaders, and strategic partners who gathered to assess progress, identify challenges, and reimagine the ICPD programme of action for a new generation.
High on the agenda was “Transforming education, transforming lives: Expanding opportunities for young people”.
Other topics included, “Beyond the boomers: ethical and transformative leadership for a world in poly-crisis” and “Civic engagement, political participation and mobilisation for social change and social justice”.
Henry said, “The discussions were quite enlightening, but the more we engaged each other is the more I realise that there is a lot of work to be done, especially in areas of sex education, period poverty and gender equality.”
However, Henry looks forward to partnering with others to help the vulnerable.
“One of the topics was igniting change with grassroots movement for population and development. I felt that it was very appropriate since there is where real change will start.
“We have to empower people from the community level so that they can have a say in their development. There is nothing wrong with the bottom-up approach to development,” Henry added.
Fellow National Youth Ambassador Shaquan O’Neil participated in the Caribbean Climate Justice Camp (CCJC) in Sint Maarten from March 28-31.
The annual event brings together hundreds of youth and aims to serve as a platform for participants to cultivate knowledge, strategies, capacity, community, and networks.
Young people from more than 25 Caribbean nations developed and followed four tracks focused on the energy sector and transition, adaptation and resilience, gender and climate justice, and marine conservation.
They discussed solutions-based frameworks and established cross-border networks that will begin working together to tackle the unique challenges faced by Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
O’Neil, also 21, highlighted some of the sessions he attended. These included: climate justice and resilience agenda, climate change and human rights, advancing justice through data, as well as using history to tell powerful climate stories, and social media for campaigning.
The gathering also examined climate change and mental health, solar water heating—a means for building climate resilience (Caribbean Solar Energy Society), media training (Climate Tracker), and restorative justice.
As he summarised the stark reality of the climate change predicament, the youth ambassador referenced the famous song “Hot Hot Hot” by the Mighty Arrow.
“Who would believe that this iconic song would capture the sad reality we’re now facing everyday due to climate change?” he asked rhetorically.
“The climate justice camp made me elated to know that I’m not just the only youth who is willing to fight on behalf of developing states,” he added. “The camp equipped us with lots of sustainable strategies that we can use as climate activists.”
The CCJC focus was also on policy, nature-based solutions, and community engagement strategies, as well as alignment in the lead-up to the UN’s fourth SIDS conference. The latter event will take place in Antigua and Barbuda from May 27-30.