–at Youth Climate Change Conference in Jamaica

FOUR Guyanese students drawn from some of the country’s top secondary schools are currently in Jamaica, participating in the the annual Youth Climate Change Conference.
A first for Guyana, the students were drawn from Queen’s College, St. Rose’s High, St. Stanislaus College and the New Amsterdam Multilateral School.
They are Christine Rose Archer of St. Rose’s High; Aadilah Ali from Queen’s; Suphane Dash of ‘Saint’s’; and Yevnie Sukra of the New Amsterdam ‘Multi.’

The two-day event, which began on Tuesday, is being hosted by the Jamaica Rural Economy and Ecosystems Adapting to Climate change (Ja REEACH II) Project, in collaboration with the UNDP-Japan Caribbean Climate Change Partnership (J-CCP) Project.
Guyana’s participation was made possible with the help of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with the Office of Climate Change (OCC).

The conference reportedly caters to Caribbean and Japanese youths, and is primarily intended to stimulate and facilitate the exchange of experiences between the countries.
During the training aspect of the conference, it is expected that there will be knowledge-sharing and transfer among Caribbean countries and between Caribbean states and Japan; a conference of Parties modelled event for youth across the Caribbean; break-out group sessions featuring practical and hands-on exercises; and site visits to various places of interest for both regional and Japanese participants.
The conference is being guided by the overall goal of fostering an environment where Caribbean youth can become conversant with the topic of Climate Change, and by so doing be empowered to take action.

Among participating countries at this year’s conference are Guyana, Jamaica, Japan, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname.
The theme this year is: “Our Climate, Our Voice, Our Change: Advancing Youth Action through Partnerships for Global Impact.”
Guyana’s participation in the meet this year is one of a series of events planned and coordinated by the OCC to raise awareness on the effects of Climate Change and actions that can be taken to mitigate the effects

The participants are the four top students of the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) Environmental Studies Unit I for 2017.
On Tuesday, the Guyanese contingent made a 12-minute presentation highlighting key challenges being experienced within their home country as a result of climate change. Upon their return, they will be required to prepare a report on their experience for submission to the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the OCC.
They may also be required to participate in a series of television programmes hosted by the OCC, in collaboration with the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN). (Ministry of the Presidency)