Issues affecting youths to be targeted by new USAID/ESC Council

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Eastern and Southern Caribbean (ESC) regional mission has announced the launch of its new Youth Council, geared at advocacy and addressing issues affecting young people.
The Youth Council is a 15-member group of young people between 18 to 29 years of age, who will collaborate with USAID and local partners by sharing their experiences on some of the most pressing issues that affect young people.

The Youth Council members with US Ambassador to Barbados Linda Taglialatela and the Eastern Caribbean and the USAID/ESC Regional Representative Clinton White

The Youth Council will also participate in USAID-wide events and will benefit from capacity building initiatives to strengthen their community leadership skills and advocacy on youth issues with governments and key stakeholders across the region.

USAID/ESC Regional Representative Clinton White commented on the launch of the Youth Council, “We are excited by the outstanding work that young people across the region are doing to change their communities and countries. Establishing this Youth Council is an important element of our work in the Caribbean Region.  You can’t make decisions that involve young people in the absence of their voices and ideas.”
He further shared, “The Youth Council allows USAID/ESC to engage youth as well as an opportunity to assist them with developing stronger leadership and advocacy skills. Moreover, the Youth Council Members will also participate in USAID-wide events.  We believe this partnership will have a long and lasting impact on the Caribbean and help to build the bridge for the next generation to cross.”
Members of the Youth Council will serve for a period of one year. The group is comprised of underrepresented individuals from local communities and civil societies, including women, non-majority and Indigenous communities, and other voices with less access to decision makers.
Youth Council representatives hail from Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. There will also be representation from the Caribbean Youth Environment Network, the Caricom Youth Ambassador Corps, youth detention facilities, and other regional youth organisations.
Guyana is represented on the Council by David Henry. (G12)