Youth Visioning for Island Living - Caribbean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Regions

This programme is centred on youth participation. It is based on the conviction that, representing a significant part of the population of small islands, young people need to be fully involved in the review of the programme of action for SIDS and its future follow-up. Organisers invited young islanders to take part in a visioning process whereby they can articulate how they want their islands to develop in the future and how they plan to help make this happen.

Youth input informed the construction of the project's themes, which include:

1. Life and love in islands - island lifestyles and cultures
2. My island home - safeguarding island environments
3. Money in my pocket - economic and employment opportunities

The exploration of these themes has taken part in 3 stages:

• Phase I: Preparatory activities (2004): To prepare their positions on these 3 themes, participants took part in meetings, internet discussion forums, an art competition, and poetry and essay competitions. For example, during the interregional preparatory meeting for the review of the SIDS programme of action, held in The Bahamas in January 2004, Bahamian youth conducted their own visioning for island living consultation. For 2 days, 35 young people convened in New Providence to participate in panel discussions, work in small and large groups to develop their ideas, and join together to prepare a Manifesto [PDF]. The purpose of this consultation was to provide insight for the larger activity in Mauritius in January 2005 (see below). Organisers stress that the discussions on the Small Islands Voice youth internet forum - conducted in 2002-3 within the framework of Small Islands Voice project - were particularly useful in sparking communication about background ideas. In addition, participants contributed information to build an interactive Youth Visioning website that is designed to facilitate the preparatory activities, the youth meeting in Mauritius, and the follow-up implementation. This site includes details about activities/projects, as well as positions relating to the 3 themes, media promotion, information about fundraising activities, inter-regional web-based discussions, and chat rooms.
• Phase II (2005): Youth Visioning Event in Mauritius: In January 2005, 96 youth from 37 island nations in the Caribbean, Pacific and AIMS (Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and South China Sea) regions met at Pointe aux Sables in Mauritius to decide on the major issues of concern for youth. Participants took part in a 6-day programme that featured preparatory workshops, panel and small group discussion sessions, regional cultural evenings, and field trips. This gathering culminated in the young people presenting their Youth Declaration to the main United Nations (UN) meeting. The idea here was to provide opportunities to share experiences, promote cultural understanding, interact with organisations represented at the main UN meeting, and participate in debates and side events.
• Phase III (2005 and beyond): Project Implementation: Following the Mauritius meeting, the youth delegates returned to their respective islands to share the activities with their peers and to begin implementing some of the ideas and vision they had worked to develop. Small Islands Voice, together with other national, regional, and inter-regional partners, are working with the youth to support them in their project implementation. To cite only a few examples: in Singapore, student volunteers worked to bridge the generation gap by organising a steamboat feast to celebrate the Chinese New Year for 105 elders. In Antigua and Barbuda, youth created a website to give young entrepreneurs information on how to start their own business. In the Cap Verde Islands, youth worked to educate their peers about HIV/AIDS through sporting activities. And In Fiji a youth parliament alumni was established; among the first activities were HIV/AIDS education activities and environmental clean-ups. For more information on these and other projects and Youth Visioning in general, visit the project website.

Youth, Environment, Economic Development, Technology.