Throughout history, positive change is often spurred by the youth. Young people have enormous potential for dynamism, courage, resilience, compassion, and the ability to conceptualise a better world. UWI St Augustine is lead coordinator of a European Union-funded project created to unleash the energy of the emerging generation by giving them a voice on a host of issues of community and universal importance.
Entitled “Youth Speak UP”, the project, which is also intended to strengthen the capacity of civil society organisations (CSOs) to participate in matters that impact migrants and displaced persons, was launched late last year and is expected to run for two and a half years.
Speaking on The UWI’s motivation to become involved with the project, Professor Indar Ramnarine, Deputy Principal of UWI St Augustine, said at a recent virtual launch event that “The UWI is an activist university committed to building capacity to create positive change in this region”.
He added that, “We are all aware of the wide and varied challenges created by the rapidly evolving physical, social, and economic environment. There is no doubt that, in the present and in the future, we need persons who are adequately equipped to successfully navigate our societies and challenges therein. While we cannot predict the future, we can prepare those who will be around to lead in the future.”
Youth Speak UP is being implemented by the Office of the Deputy Principal along with three partner organisations — the Rotary Club of St Augustine, youth-focused NGO Jabulous, and the Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The EU is providing funding of 275,000 euros for the execution of the project. Each of the three co-applicants has lead responsibility for one of its core components.
Since its launch in November 2020, Youth Speak UP has attracted 186 participants so far, representing the various identities that make up T&T. The programme is open to young people between the ages of 16 and 29. They will receive training to become leaders and advocates, all to further the positive transformation of society.
Speaking at the virtual ceremony, Mr Sanjin Soldatic, Charge d’Affaires at the EU Delegation to Trinidad and Tobago, said, the EU considers engagement with youth a key dimension for their international partnerships agenda.
“The mandate is that youth should not only be one of our main target groups for EU actions, but also should be an EU dialogue partner in their own right. The ultimate objective being to ensure that the voices of young people are heard and taken into account in public life and in the decision-making processes, “said Mr Soldatic.
Participants of Youth Speak UP will take part in sessions in what the project calls “core areas”. These include knowledge and information sessions (already underway), training in information and communications technology and the use of social media, leadership and advocacy training, and community engagement projects.
The knowledge and information session, which is currently in its third cycle, covers topics like the history of the youth movement in T&T, migration, social and child protection, understanding legislation and policy, and project planning and development, among others. Facilitators for the presentation of these topics are drawn from a wide range of experts.
President of the Rotary Club of St Augustine Mr Krishna Boodhai said his organisation’s support for Youth Speak UP was in keeping with Rotary Club International’s vision statement: “Together we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.”
Mrs Sabrina Mowlah-Baksh, General Manager of the Coalition Against Domestic Violence, speaking on the importance of youth, said, “the earlier we can shape minds to appreciate the value of gender equality, the greater the chance to foster respectful and healthier relationships. This is why we are so excited about the Youth Speak UP project.”
Her sentiment was shared by CEO and Founder of Jabulous Salorne McDonald, who said his organisation understood the importance of “harnessing youth”.
“Youth culture, youth innovation, and youth energy,” said Mr McDonald, “and giving youth the opportunity to develop and hone those skills”, is the focus of Jabulous.
Project Manager of Youth Speak UP, Lynette Joseph-Brown, explained that the proposal was written with face-to-face delivery in mind. However, the emergence of the COVID pandemic a few months before its start led to a reconceptualisation of the project for full online delivery.
This had its drawbacks but also quite a few benefits. According to Ms Joseph-Brown, “we were able to reallocate project funds for the development of outputs which will provide a greater foundation for sustainability when the project is officially over.”
These outputs included recordings of the knowledge and information sessions, as well as content created with the guidance of specialists in online computer technology training from UWI’s School of Education. A learning management system was developed and maintained by ClicktoStart, the NGO responsible for delivering the ICT and social media training.
“I believe that it is truly going to create a cultural shift in Trinidad and Tobago,” says Assistant Manager of the project, Ms Raysha Purcell. “It brings together different genders, different ethnicities, people that reside in different districts within T&T, all coming together into this one virtual space where they are going to be trained to raise their voices and say, ‘Hey, these are my concerns. What is in place that can assist our communities?’ They will emerge as the leaders and advocates that they are destined to become.”
For more information on Youth Speak Up, visit https://sta.uwi.edu/youthspeakuptt/.
