Nevis’ CARICOM Youth Ambassador – Vieda Mills
Charlestown, Nevis
August 06, 2013
The Nevis Island Administration’s Ministry of Social Development’s Youth Affairs Division recently announced the selection of a Nevisian as one of two Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) Youth Ambassadors (CYA) for St. Kitts and Nevis.
The CARICOM Youth Ambassadors Programme is a mechanism for leadership development and youth participation. The Youth Ambassadors are the Caribbean Community’s focal points for deepening the regional integration and development process through advocacy and peer education initiatives. Youth Ambassadors are selected from the membership of National Youth Councils or other representative youth organisations and/or are experienced youth leaders.
According to Ms. Vieda Mills, Youth Officer at the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry extended an invitation for persons to apply for the positions and received applications from seven persons who were later interviewed by a panel which made the selection.
“I would take this opportunity to thank those persons who submitted the CYA application forms and made themselves available for the interview sessions. We applaud you and we recognise your commitment and readiness that you desire to help our youths in becoming better citizens to the Federation and try to guide them in the right path.
“We are very proud to say we have two representatives from Nevis, Mr. Anselm Caines the Youth Ambassador for St. Kitts and Nevis (male) and the alternate [male] Jayquan Mario Phillip.”
Mr. Caines, who is a past teacher of the Charlestown Secondary School, recently completed university studies at the Hugh Wooding Law School at the University of the West Indies’ Cave Hill Campus in Trinidad. He described his selection as CARICOM Youth Ambassador as a most welcomed opportunity to engage in service and representation of his country and its people.
“I love to engage in things pertaining to youth development and youth work, travelling, issues of governance and diplomacy. Those things really form a part of my forte”The exposure to issues affecting young people and diplomacy at a much wider level in terms of the regional, international arena is something which I obviously believe is going to redound to my benefit.
“I look forward to the opportunity to dialoguing with my peers from the Caribbean Community, to see how we can collaborate on issues that are pertinent to the development of young people in our respective countries,” he said.
Mr. Phillip, who would serve as the male alternate, is a student of the Nevis Sixth Form College. He serves as Public Relations Officer of the newly established National Youth Council, an initiative of the of the NIA’s Department of Social Services’ Youth Division.
“I am a person who is very active in youth activities on the island. I’ve been quite active in the Youth Month that we had in April and I enjoyed doing those activities”I was quite happy when I found out that I was selected to be the alternate and I’m up to the challenge and I’m readily looking forward to what is in store.
“Being from Nevis and representing St. Kitts and Nevis as CARICOM Youth Ambassadors and the alternate, I think that we could have a Nevisian view on things. Also Nevis would be highlighted in all the decisions that we probably would help other people make or make ourselves. There would be a Nevisian focus on everything that we do and say,” Phillip said.
The female CARICOM Youth Ambassador for the Federation is Ms. Sonia Boddie of St. Kitts.