Barbados

On Thursday September 14th and Monday 2nd October, the Administrative and Logistics Officer, Jahdae Parris and the National Coordinator, Shannon Weekes had radio interviews with radio host Nikita Herbert and Dj Salt respectively, about the Barbados International Coastal Cleanup. During the interviews, the representatives were engaged about the organization, environmental matters and the Barbados International Coastal Cleanup (BICC).

On Monday 2nd October, PhD student, at the Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies, Fabiola Espanoza interviewed members of the CYEN in Barbados. Fabiola is collaborating with the University of the West Indies to conduct research on how Barbadians, including the youth, perceive changes that affect their livelihoods, including climate change. Fabiola has interviewed fishers, fish vendors as well as tourist vendors in the Oistins and Speightstown area. During the interview, she asked CYEN members about the issues affecting them and their families and how they have adapted in order to cope with these challenges.

On 23rd August, 2023, the National Coordinator in Barbados, Shannon Weekes, represented CYEN at a Civil Society Organization (CSO) 90-minute talk organized by the Prime Minister’s Office in Barbados. During the talk, various CSO’s had the opportunity to learn more about the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD) from their founder and President, Mr. Durwood Zaelke and their Director of the Paris Office, Ms. Maxime Beaugrand as well as various projects some of the organizations are currently undertaking or would have carried out in the past relating to climate change and action.

The Barbados Association of Non Governmental Organizations (BANGO) in partnership with the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Third Sector and the Ministry of Energy and Business held a meeting on 18th July, 2023, to facilitate the discussion on the allocation of renewable energy for the Third Sector and to receive an update on Third Sector Organizations (TSOs) applications. The meeting also explored opportunities on how TSOs can collaborate to take advantage of the allocation.

During the summer, CYEN hosted a summer intern from the University of Chicago, Sanya Bhartiya, from June 20th – August 18th 2023. During the internship, Sanya worked alongside CYEN members in Barbados to undertake community conversations with youth between the ages of 12-29 to get their perspectives on and awareness of climate change and climate justice, with the ultimate goal of creating and submitting policy briefs to different ministries. Interviews were conducted with youth from secondary schools, youth organizations and organizations affiliated with youth.

CYEN in Barbados collaborated with Sagicor Life Inc. to execute a beach cleanup on 13th August, 2023 at Oistins Beach as part of their internship programme. The cleanup had 34 participants who removed 181.46kgs of debris from the beach.

In preparation for the 2023 Barbados International Coastal Cleanup (BICC), members of the CYEN Barbados chapter scouted some of the island’s beaches on July 31st, 2023. The scouting exercise allowed the chapter to identify beaches that were in desperate need of cleaning. Additionally, the members later meet with CYEN Dominican members where they learnt more about each other and what activities the chapter in Dominica has planned for the remainder of the year.

Ms. Shannon Weekes, National Coordinator in Barbados, attended a high level 90-minute engagement with the UAE’s COP-28 High Level Champion, HE Ms. Razan Al Mubarak which was hosted by the Prime Minister’s Office on August 10th 2023. During this 90-minute talk, CYEN and a few selected CSOs had the opportunity to express perspectives on global climate action and give input to the international Climate Change COP process. Discussions ranged from youth involvement and participation to climate awareness and education from the global south perspective.

On July 27th 2023, CYEN in Barbados had its 15th general meeting for the year. At this meeting, members discussed the Barbados Youth Development Council (BYDC) elections, the year of the youth meeting and the upcoming Barbados International Coastal Cleanup (BICC).

On August 16th 2023, members of CYEN dove into climate action with interactive presentations on greenhouse gasses and reducing our carbon footprint. The children of the camp also learned the ropes on tackling plastic pollution and the art of responsible waste disposal. From crafting greenhouse gas models to creating impactful posters and repurposing bottle caps, every moment was a step towards a greener future.