16469: Fw: ACP III: Caribbean realities as seen by young people (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: <Tttnhm@aol.com>


The Third Assembly of Caribbean People: Caribbean realities as seen by young
people

By Gotson Pierre

Cap-Haïtien, 20 August 2003 [AlterPresse] - The Caribbean Youth Forum took
place in Cap-Haitien on 19 August, the day before the opening of the Third
Assembly of Caribbean People, in a relaxed atmosphere, strong on
socio-political
commitment, and marked by serious organisational problems.

More than 350 people attended the Youth Forum and listened to resolutions
presented by the Haitian, Dominican, Cuban, Trinidadian, and St. Lucian
delegations.

The Haitian delegate, Hérode Thurin, drew a powerful picture of the
situation
in Haiti which is producing broken youth "without vision, and which hates
its
country". The only hope left for Haitian youth are "emigration, drugs or
demagogic politics".

Thurin called for the building of youth movement that is "democratic,
participatory, representative, autonomous, combative, pluralistic and
patriotic".

"The great challenge for Caribbean youth is to know and assume the
responsibilities of an active citizenship", asserted the Dominican delegate,
Jaime
Rodriguez, who stressed that "more than 60% of the population of Caribbean
is less
than 30 years old".  He said that Caribbean youth is "the prime target" of
campaigns which promote "consumerism and alienation".

Rodriguez called for the unification of the student and youth movements.
With
regard to other sectors, he said that young people can "play a fundamental
role" in the heart of community organisations, in the "revival of the labour
movement", in the Christian base communities, and "in the great cultural
battle
that we are engaged in today".

Calixto Ruiz and Nancy Coro from Cuba raised various regional problems such
as illiteracy and the process of acculturation. They highlighted the
achievements of Cuba, in particular, in education and health, and called for
"unity in
order to succeed". The representatives of Cuban youth took up the slogan of
the
World Social Forum  - "Another world is possible", adding that "Another
Caribbean can be built".

The Trinidadian delegate, Svenn Miki Grant, stressed the significant changes
at the level of Caribbean reality where "young people are forced into
silence". Among the challenges he underlined is the crucial problem of AIDS.
"To
organise ourselves as young people" is a primary objective for the
Trinidadian
representative, who suggested the establishment of Caribbean Youth Assembly.

Lastly, Melissa Zephirin of St. Lucia stressed the environmental degradation
in the countries of the Caribbean. Among the causes, she underlined the
unrestrained cutting down of trees, which is itself a consequence of the
increased
poverty now found in the region.

These contributions stirred an animated debate during which many questions
were put and various comments made.  "Can one arrive at a sovereign
Caribbean
when one takes into account the current situation of the region?", asked one
Haitian youth. "Where is the discussion of the question of gender?",
demanded a
youth from Trinidad. It is necessary, she suggested, to pose the problems by
considering "the way in which they affect each gender".

Questions related to cultural and media problems, the difficulty of
organising itself, the challenge of unity, the question of the Caribbean
Economic
Community (CARICOM), and discrimination against Haitians in Dominican
Republic were
also raised.

The day of August 19 was marked by serious organisational problems.
Logistical difficulties arose in particular at the level of transport,
reception, and
accommodation. It was very difficult, on arrival at the site of the Forum,
to
find the person in charge in order to introduce yourself. The general
atmosphere left a strong impression of improvisation.

(translated from French by Charles Arthur for the Haiti Support Group)


_______________________________________________


This email is forwarded as a service of the Haiti Support Group. If you want
to be removed from this list, please send an email message to
haitisupport@gn.apc.org

See the Haiti Support Group web site:
www.haitisupport.gn.apc.org

Solidarity with the Haitian people's struggle for justice, participatory
democracy and equitable development, since 1992.
____________________________________________