Saint Lucia’s CARICOM Youth Ambassadors have launched a new anthology capturing how young people across the Caribbean understand regional integration through stories, poems and song lyrics.
The publication was launched on Wednesday, August 12, coinciding with International Youth Day, and provides a platform for young Caribbean writers to reflect on the question: “What does CARICOM mean to you?”
Deputy CARICOM Youth Ambassador for Saint Lucia Naeem Philbert said the timing of the launch was particularly significant.
“It is particularly fitting then that we gather today on International Youth Day, a day dedicated to recognizing the contribution, potential, and importance of young people,” Philbert said.
He described the anthology as part of an evolving initiative that has sought to give young people opportunities to express their views on the Caribbean and its future.
“The journey from Reading Month through the HGC period and now to International Youth Day is therefore not a departure from our original vision but an evolution of it,” Philbert said.
According to Philbert, the initiative has developed from simply encouraging young people to express themselves to creating a space where their perspectives can be heard by the wider region.
“We move from creating an opportunity for young people to express themselves to creating an opportunity for the region to stop and listen,” he said.
The anthology features qualifying contributions from young people who responded to the question of what CARICOM means to them, preserving their perspectives as part of the region’s contemporary record.
Philbert said the significance of the publication extends beyond its launch.
“But the publication preserves participation,” he said.
“Every qualifying contribution represents a young person who took the time to stop, reflect, and answer a question that is fundamental to the future of our region.”
For Philbert, the anthology is therefore more than a collection of creative works. It is also a record of youth participation in discussions about Caribbean integration.
He expressed the belief that the publication will acquire greater significance as time passes.
“It is my belief that years from now, this publication will be valuable for reasons that extend far beyond this moment,” Philbert said.
The anthology places the perspectives and creativity of Caribbean youth at the center of conversations about CARICOM, offering stories, poetry and song lyrics as a means of exploring the meaning of regional integration from a young person’s perspective.
Its launch on International Youth Day underscores the role of young people in shaping the Caribbean’s identity and its future.