A workshop designed to generate a sustainable interest in advocacy, student leadership and representation among youth has been described as a success.
Coordinator of the event, Jonathan Jones said the student-friendly workshop was designed to expose Dominican youth and students to the advantages of participation in student governance and provide them with basic tools and knowledge to function in a national student organization which the Commonwealth Students Association (CSA) is currently trying to establish in Commonwealth Caribbean Territories. He said the goal of the workshop was successfully achieved.
The workshop, which was organised by the Commonwealth Students Association (CSA) and the Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC), was separated into five sessions with different guest speakers.
Session one was an introduction to CSA and CYC done by the CSA Caribbean and Americas Youth Council Reprentative, Franz George. Miss Dominica 2019, Marisol John, spoke on the topic “Architects and Pioneers of our Common Future: Building a National Student Organization.” Benjamin Fraser who is the CSA Caribbean and Americas Representative spoke on the topics ‘Model of a National Student organisation: What works for Dominica and ‘The Purpose of Student Representative Bodies in Educational Quality Asurance: Student Advocacy and Democracy.” Asst. Chief Youth Development Officer, Gregory Riviere, spoke on the topic ‘The Empowered Dominican Student Leader.’
Participants of the workshop each received a certificate of participation for their involvement in the workshop.
Chairperson of the National Youth Council (NYC), David R. Thornhill, endorsed the workshop as a necessary means of focusing on the youth during this stage of Dominica’s development.
“Seeing the success that our nation and its population has made after Hurricane Maria to being a step closer to the world’s first climate resilient country, now we have to expand our area of focus and target the youth and student population,” he stated.
Thornhill says as Dominica is in a critical stage in its developing process where the young individuals will be at the forefront, with the combined assistance of the Commonwealth Student Association, Commonwealth Youth Council, the current government administration and (whelmer’s stake holders), there will be an effective organisation to advocate on behalf of the youth population.
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