Barbados National Youth Parliamentarians Represent Abroad

The Barbados National Youth Parliament (BNYP) has been actively making a positive impact at both local, regional and international levels. Recently, four Youth Parliamentarians travelled abroad to participate in discussions on youth representation in governance and climate change. The BNYP is facilitated by the Youth Development Programme, Division of Youth Affairs in the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Community Empowerment. It seeks to inspire youth aged 14–23 years who are interested in parliamentary practice to engage in politics and citizenship. This ensures inclusivity and provides opportunities for the youth’s voice to be heard, not only on the streets of Barbados but also in its Parliament.

On August 28th, 2024, Sarah Holder and Joshua Harris, representing Barbados, travelled to London. During their stay, they attended important meetings and events. They first met with the Ships Registry of Barbados at Barbados House, followed by a meeting with the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) at the same venue. Additionally, Sarah and Joshua participated in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) Senior Officials Meeting with High Commissioner Milton Inniss, where they interacted with various Commonwealth High Commissioners.

Sarah Bisram and Kashaun Waldron departed for Georgetown, Guyana, on September 4th, 2024, to attend the 46th Conference of the Caribbean, the Americas, and the Atlantic Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) on behalf of Barbados. The event took place at the Parliament of Guyana from September 1st to 7th, 2024. During the 17th Regional Youth Parliament in Guyana, Sarah Bisram and Kashaun Waldron focused on “Democracy: Challenges Facing Modern Parliaments”. They discussed how the full potential of promoting inclusive governance through youth representation in national legislative bodies is not fully utilised.

The CPA aims to promote a comprehensive understanding of parliamentary democracy that respects each country’s context and aligns with the organisation’s impartial, non-instructive, and non-invasive principles, following the priorities established by individual jurisdictions and parliaments. More than 60% of Commonwealth residents are under 30, so the CPA encourages young people to impact local legislatures by recognising their potential as change-makers. This year, being the Commonwealth Year of the Youth is particularly noteworthy. Attendees from all CPA regions can take advantage of the session’s valuable networking and parliamentary practice.

The Barbados National Youth Parliament is scheduled to have a national debate on September 26th, 2024. The debate which will be streamed live on the Division of Youth Affairs’ YouTube Channel will discuss Healthcare Reform. Tune in at 10:00AM.