Wednesday, January 25, 2017 — Following the successful staging of its first Public Forum on Education in the BVI earlier this month, the OECS will on Friday January 27, engage the Youth of the region on issues impacting their lives. The Youth Forum, to be held in Anguilla at the La Vue Boutique Inn starting at 1pm will focus on measures and approaches to address youth unemployment, youth crime and violence, the juvenile justice system, as well as development opportunities for young persons, especially in the areas of education, sports and the arts.
The Panel for the Youth Forum will comprise an international expert, alongside representatives from government, the private sector, the NGO community, and civil society. There will also be key resource persons in the audience who will broaden the scope of the discussion, and answer questions relevant to their area of expertise and experience as it relates to youth-oriented initiatives and interventions in the region. The Anguilla Forum is expected to attract an audience who have a vested interest in, are impacted by, or are passionate about issues affecting Youth.
OECS Director General Dr. Didacus Jules says the forum will seek to gauge where the region is, in terms of youth empowerment and development, with a view to devising approaches, strategies and policies that would better respond to the needs and aspirations of young persons.
“As a region, it is incumbent on us to equip our youth with the knowledge and skills to compete globally, and realize their full potential as citizens of the world. Our economic survival as small island developing states dictates that we equip future generations with the tools and resources that will enable us to navigate the tidal wave of global change.
“The Forum supports the recently launched OECS Youth Empowerment Strategy (YES).” said Dr. Jules.
The Anguilla Forum is part of the public education component of the 10th EDF Economic Integration and Trade Programme of the OECS region, funded by the 10thEuropean Development Fund. The Forum Series, dubbed Vini Koze – Kweyol for ‘let’s chat’ – is aimed at educating and informing the people of the OECS on the social, economic and political benefits of Regional Integration. It seeks to ensure citizen engagement and active participation in the Regional Integration process.
The Forums provides an opportunity for key decision makers, civil society observers and experts within respective fields, to discuss and debate issues raised by a live audience, on the achievements, development opportunities and challenges facing the region.
The OECS Public Education Forum Series (PEFS) will run until March 2017. It will be staged across six (6) OECS Member States including The BVI, Anguilla, Dominica, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Martinique. Topics for upcoming fora include Climate Change, Regional Integration, Agriculture, and Economic Growth.
Vini Koze will be televised across OECS Member States, the wider Caribbean, and the Diaspora. It is being produced by ELShaFord Productions on behalf of the OECS Commission.