General Notices

The UWI in collaboration with the UN/UNDP presents the launch of the SDG Youth Advocacy Caribbean campaign for The Caribbean We Want – A webinar event.

Join this conversation on Caribbean youth perspectives on April 4 from 10am by clicking here.

Speakers include:

• Michael Joseph, Project Coordinator, UWI Youth Development Project

• Malene Joseph, Global Shapers POS Hub

• Leanna Kalicheran, Youth Arm of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Caribbean Chapter 

2009 Humanities graduate of the UWI, St Augustine, Malene A. Joseph, has a vested interest in sustainable development for Trinidad and Tobago and Caribbean region. Her MA in Creative and Media Enterprises from the University of Warwick was a response to seeing certain key gaps in the Cultural and Creative industries related to research, business and policy-making during her 2-year tenure at the T&T Entertainment Company. She has since worked at the Economic Development Board, Ministry of Planning and Sustainable Development as well as the Culture Division, Ministry of Community Development, the Arts and Culture. She counts her musical work with Freetown Collective as part of her community and national development work as the band's music and message takes them frequently to schools and even prison programmes. Being part of the Global Shapers Hub Port of Spain is just one more avenue to continue to actively contribute to societal development among a group of young, motivated world-shapers. She continues to champion innovative partnerships where her work allows since strategic sector collaborations are the way forward. She has somewhat adopted the words of Frank Chimero as they capture her vision for development perfectly: “To be human is to tinker, to envision a better condition, and decide to work toward it".

Leanna Kalicharan | Representing- UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)

Leanna Kalicharan from Guyana is a Biologist and has earned her BSc. in Biology, with honours from the University of Guyana in 2013, where she was the best graduating student in the programme. She also earned her MSc. Degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Management where she specialised in Coastal and Marine Resource Management from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill campus, in 2016.She currently works as a Lecturer within the Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences at the University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus. Leanna is highly interested in biodiversity conservation, particularly, fishery resources, and has worked with researchers from the University of Guyana, Shedd Aquarium, Yale University, the World Wildlife Fund – Guianas, and Global Wildlife Conservation, to contribute to the conservation of freshwater fishery and reptilian resources of Guyana.

In addition, in December 2016, Leanna was appointed as the Caribbean Network Coordinator for the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) – Youth. She also serves as the Regional Coordinator for the Caribbean and Americas for the Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network (CYCN).More so, she is an active member of the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) since June 2014 and has been working closely with CYEN national chapters of Guyana and Barbados to promote climate change, environmental and biological conservation, and youth integration in sustainable development related issues. She is also a Special Envoy for CYEN, specifically tasked to 2 ensure that CYEN's position on approaches to climate change management is articulated and made know in throughout international NGOs and networks.

Michael Joseph | Representing- The UWI Youth Development Programme

Michael Joseph is a Project Coordinator at The University of the West Indies Youth Development Programme (UWI – YDP), a Project of the Vice Chancellery. There, he is responsible for the conceptualisation of projects and their development. While a law student, he chaired the ad hoc working committee with the objective of building a platform for a sophisticated and strategic approach towards youth development for The University of the West Indies. The result of that committee’s work was the formation of The University of the West Indies Youth Development Programme.

Currently, he manages a number of youth development initiatives including a youth anti - violence campaign in St. Lucia, a Caribbean Road Safety campaign to be implemented in four territories served by The UWI and is carrying out multi-sectoral consultations to inform a Work Integrated Learning Strategy for The UWI. One of his chief passions is the ever-closer relationship between youth and global, regional and national development agendas.