(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) CARICOM Youth Ambassadors are partnering with telecommunications giant of Suriname, Telesur, to develop a high impact Information and Communication Technology (ICT) project that is expected to engage Caribbean Youth in competitive activities that will promote the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME).

The proposed project titled, Cari-CAM aims to use Information and Communication Technologies in developing among youth, a greater understanding and appreciation of the CSME and will involve, among other things, the use of cell phones by youth to develop competitively, video messages designed to promote various elements of the CSME. The project will also include the creation of a youth friendly, CYAP interactive web site and the production of the Youth Ambassador Orientation Package on DVD.

To this end, a team of CARICOM Youth Ambassadors and technocrats joined Telesur in a two-day meeting in Suriname on 7-8 June to discuss the details of the project and to secure an agreement between Telesur and CARICOM for the project’s sustainability.

Speaking at the Opening Session of the meeting, Chief Executive Officer of Telesur, Mr Dirk Currie expressed his passion for regional integration as well as a firm conviction that regional development hinges firmly on youth development.

Mr Currie explained that education and youth development are two priorities for his company and declared that there is need for greater investment in youth for the sustainability of regional development.

CARICOM Secretariat’s representative, Sherwin Bridgewater underscored the aim of the CARICOM Youth Ambassador Programme as that of empowering youth to maximize the benefits of the CSME, and noted that the ICT initiative would “further re-assure Caribbean youth that they are not just being given a token space in the Community but are being kept in the mainstream of activities.”

Suriname’s Permanent Secretary for Youth Affairs, Mr Rechinell Trustfull in welcoming the team to Suriname stated that the youth is the most important stakeholder group in Community development and the best proponents of the message of regional integration.

The two-day meeting ended with the group producing a draft project proposal and a draft agreement to be submitted to the CARICOM Secretariat for review. The project is expected to come on stream later this year.

The CARICOM team of youth ambassadors comprises Diego Morris, Jamaica; Altocha Anderson and Kyle deFreitas, St Vincent and the Grenadines; Dwayne Branch, Barbados; Yldiz Beighle and Ferranto Dongar, Suriname. Dorrett Campbell and Sherwin Bridgewater represented the CARICOM Secretariat. Telesur’s team comprises Mr Dirk Currie and CEO; Mike Antonios, Manager, Internet and Multimedia. Several other youth officers including, Daryl Zeegelar, Sherlock Bergejn, Emilo Lens, from Suriname, also participated in the meeting.