(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The communication and advocacy skills of CARICOM Youth Ambassadors (CYAs) are being sharpened to play a greater role in the Region, particularly in the realm of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

In this context, CYAs will converge 8-10 July in Saint Lucia, for an intensive workshop on Sustainable Livelihoods for Caribbean Youth. The workshop is aimed at increasing CSME awareness and advocacy skills among the CYAs, with a view to developing a regional framework for integrating sustainable livelihood into HIV/AIDS prevention projects.

Topics including regional integration, the current status of CSME implementation, as well as presentations on media skills, public speaking and practical media exercises are expected to feature at the workshop. This is in addition to the issue of vulnerability faced by Caribbean at-risk youth in the context HIV/AIDS, and presentations incorporating other risk factors such as crime, drugs and violence.

In the latter regard, the CYAs will receive a practical demonstration on turning challenges into communications opportunities for promoting sustainable livelihoods in peer-to-peer HIV/AIDS programmes.

It is anticipated that a total of 32 CARICOM Youth Ambassadors (CYAs) drawn from across the Region will attend the sessions which will be facilitated by staff of the CARICOM Secretariat and the Ministry of Commerce, Investment and Consumer Affairs, Saint Lucia.

A Behaviour Change Communication Workshop to be organised by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and aimed at developing a Regional Behaviour Change Communication Strategy will follow the CSME awareness workshop.