(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) “No investment in youth: no regional integration; no CSME,” was the resounding message of youth representatives attending the one-day Regional Youth Forum in Paramaribo, Suriname on Wednesday.

The Regional Youth Forum, funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is the precursor to the two-day Special Summit of CARICOM Heads of Government on Youth Development set for Friday, 29-30 January, in Paramaribo where Heads of Government will receive and discuss the Report of the CARICOM Commission on Youth Development.

President of the Youth Parliament of Suriname, Dhiradj Soekhai noted that the future of the CSME hinged on the effective and meaningful participation of nine million young people within the Community. In this regard, he endorsed the call for greater and more strategic investment in youth.

Suriname’s CARICOM Youth Ambassador, Farah Khodabaks pointed to issues of youth employability, health, quality and relevance of the education and hassle free movement within the CSME as issues that must be addressed in formulating policies for youth development. Any investment, she said must embrace youth in a partnership for the continued development of the CSME.

Youth Commissioner Tamien Beckford emphasized the importance of partnership and collaboration in advancing the youth development agenda and also pointed to the need for young people to be assertive, yet act responsibly in their own development.

He further charged the youth to “be the change that they want to see in the Community,” and to seize the opportunities presented by the CSME, noting that, “we cannot direct the wind but we can set our sails in the direction that the wind is blowing.”

CONTACT: piu@caricom.org