DURATION: 30 months (from November 2020)

EU CONTRIBUTION: EUR 275,000

LOCATION: Project funded under the CSO/LA thematic budget line 2020 and managed by the Trinidad and Tobago Delegation

OVERVIEW:

The overall goal of this proposal is to strengthen the capacity of CSOs to promote the voices of youth and to increase their participation in addressing issues of irregular migration and forced displacement. This will be done by enhancing the skills and competencies of youth aged 16 – 29 to advocate effectively for themselves and others in society.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:

• Build awareness and increase the knowledge of youth (aged 16-29) on the issues that adversely affect their ability to thrive in society and on the opportunities that exist to enhance their growth and development;
• Build the capacity of young people aged 16-29 to effectively advocate for and create positive change in their communities and society through training in Leadership and Advocacy;
• Promote capacity building and skill development in areas that promote diversity and inclusion, facilitate connectedness, and allow for problem solving, conflict resolution and team building through the use of technology;
• Create processes and opportunities for young people to collaborate across socioeconomic and cultural differences by working in groups on community engagement activities, thereby actively utilizing their capacity to engage with and change their social contexts.

The project will be rolled out in phases. The first activities are intended to expose youth to development issues in society that affect them by providing them with information about  the resources available  as well as the opportunities to learn about themselves. This first phase will be closely followed by training in Information and Communication Technology and the use of social media and training in Leadership and Advocacy. Finally, youth will be supported in the design and implementation of community engagement projects where they will work in teams and apply the skills learnt during the previous sessions

In addition to building a core group of sensitized young people, the project will also establish youth leaders throughout the country, who will be expected to network with other young people and expand via social media and other Information and Communication Technologies, the positive messages and information that will contribute to the further building of key competencies.

Project Outputs:  

• Communication platforms for interaction and connection;
• Training in specific areas required of leaders and advocates;
• Documents and reports that be taken back to organizations and communities and used for duplication of activities and the achievement of similar objectives; and access to mentors and the network of skilled persons that the trainees would have connected with during the project.

Implementing Partners: University of the West Indies, Jabulous, Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Rotary Club