Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN)

Youth are an important and critical development resource. CYEN is therefore dedicated to developing strategies to engage and facilitate youth participation in the development process. CYEN defines young people as anyone within the 15-29 age group. However, it is supportive of the transitional approach to youth development, which is articulated by the World Bank and agencies within the UN System (World development Report, 2001; World Youth Report, 2005). CYEN is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of Caribbean young people by facilitating their personal development and promoting their full involvement in all matters pertaining to the environment and sustainable development. The organisation promotes education and training, Caribbean integration and community empowerment as tools to develop an ethic amongst young people that assists in the conservation and protection of natural resources within the Wider Caribbean. CYEN activities include: - Youth education, information and advocacy campaigns particularly with regard to: Climate change and the impact of natural hazards, Potable water conservation and waste water management, Sustainable agriculture and land management, Solid waste management, Natural resources management, specifically the issue of land degradation. - Promoting youth entrepreneurship in the area of solid waste recycling and reuse, especially in the area of electronic waste; - Setting up demonstration projects focusing on youth involvement in sustainable livelihoods as a tool for managing natural resources; - Building the managerial capacity of youth organizations and the personal development of individual youth by harnessing the skills of retired volunteers; - Formulation and development of the Youth Green Fund. To become the leading youth environment and development network in the region responsible for creating an appropriate space for young people to participate in the design, development, implementation and promotion of new, progressive, equitable, innovative and sustainable environmental, economic and social development policies and programmes across the wider Caribbean. CYEN also has activities on SCP. For example, as of February 2015, CYEN is in the process of establishing a committee to work specifically on SCP. CYEN members have also been writing about SCP for example, Stefan Knights' article on SCP in Latin America and the Caribbean can be found here: http://www.unep.org/unea/blog_scp1.asp CYEN members participate in regional and global meetings, for example, as recent as January 27, 2015 CYEN represented young people at the Forum of Ministers of Environment for Latin America and Caribbean in Barbados where there was a lot discussions and sharing of examples of projects and activities done in support of SIDS. Caribbean Youth Environment Network Executive Coordinator Reginald Burke, riburke@gmail.com Caribbean Youth Environment Network Regional Operations Facility P.O. Box 915, Cheapside Bridgetown BARBADOS BB11000. or 'Halsworth' Welches Road St. Michael BARBADOS Tel.: 246. 4376055 or 246 2317263 Fax: 246.4373381 Email: cyenregionaloffice@lycos.com