Local author and university student Ralph Cantave (left) in Trinidad last week.
TRINIDAD–Local author and university student Ralph Cantave recently took part in the Caribbean Regional Youth Council’s advocacy and policy workshop in Trinidad and Tobago January 26-27. St. Maarten was one of the ten-plus islands that were represented.
Cantave was among the 40 youth leaders who were accepted out of more than 200 applicants. He saw the need to attend as an active youth on the island and will be sharing his experience and the knowledge gained with interested groups that want to further empower St. Maarten’s youth.
The two days consisted of practical trainings and presentations geared towards enhancing skills for effective activism, developing youth policies, monitoring and evaluation, advocacy strategies, position paper writing, advocacy methodologies, lobbying and professional development.
The workshops were mainly geared towards youth council representatives, to help them find innovative ways of connecting and communicating with the youth of their islands, the wider public and governments. Workshop facilitators were some of the region’s best and brightest young professionals, UN and governmental policy experts, activists, business leaders and former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Basdeo Panday.
Having received a wealth of knowledge from the programme, Cantave will be writing a letter to new Minister of Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Jorien Wuite to share his ideas on ways St. Maarten can move forward with its national recovery and development through youth engagement.
Cantave believes that more can be done to include the youth in the decision-making process and that all organisations must not only improve the quality of work but collaborate more in achieving common goals. He will also suggest that St. Maarten’s Youth Council seek membership in the Caribbean Regional Youth Council and that an ambassadors programme be created for students and young professionals.
He said, “Having visited several countries in recent years, I realised the need for us to tell our story, especially now, as a developing nation, by allowing our youth who are involved in various sectors, whether academia, arts or business, to develop new skills, networks and experiences which can be used to empower their peers.”
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/73305-student-represents-island-in-trinidad
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