June 2023

To commemorate World Environment Day (WED) 2023, CYEN in Barbados held a press briefing. The press briefing was to highlight the importance of WED and the work that the chapter had undertaken and plans to undertake. During the briefing, the Deputy Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Third Sector, Ms. Sharon Drayton gave the featured remarks, the National Coordinator, Ms. Shannon Weekes, for CYEN in Barbados gave the opening remarks and the Public Relations Officer for the Chapter, Ms. Ivanna Odle gave the findings for the soil and youth research undertaken by the chapter in February 2023. Additionally, prizes for past competitions were distributed to the winners.

On May 19th, 2023, the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) in Barbados, participated in a focus group meeting hosted by the Prime Minister’s Office, to gather information from the organization and other NGOs on existing projects that NGOs in Barbados are doing and their contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), potential data sources, as well as to allow for the collation of data required for the Barbados Voluntary National Review (VNR). The NGOs in the focus group included Future Centre Trust and CYEN. Other organization who attended the meeting included UN women and International Organization of Migration (IOM).

On May 25th, CYEN in Barbados held its 11th general meeting. At the meeting, present members were updated on past CYEN activities, the chapters participation in events on the local level as well as the organizations participation regionally. Additionally, plans for the upcoming Environment month (June) were conceptualized and discussed for implementation. Lastly, the members had a fruitful discussion on humans and living sustainably.