20 September 2021

The inaugural Virtual Caribbean Youth Parliament on Climate Justice will take place on Thursday 23 September 2021 at 9.00 am AST. The parliament, which is a collaboration between the Caribbean Climate Justice Project and the Caribbean Regional Youth Council, will bring together fifteen dynamic young people from across the Caribbean to debate a resolution calling for strong action on climate change and climate justice for Caribbean citizens. Information on these dynamic youth leaders can be found at www.caribbeanclimatejustice.org/parliamentarians.

The parliament will feature an exciting list of guest speakers during the official opening and closing ceremonies. Speaking at the official opening of the parliament will be Selwin Hart, the United Nations Assistant Secretary General for Climate Action and Special Advisor on Climate Action, internationally acclaimed oceanographer Fabien Cousteau, who is the first grandson of the legendary Jacques Cousteau, Barbara Pyle, the renowned executive director and producer who co-created the animated action-adventure series Captain Planet and the Planeteers, and Taj Weekes, the international singer, musician and humanitarian activist, who will also perform his song Dark Clouds, accompanied by keyboard player Sidney Mills of Steel Pulse and bass guitarist Rupert McKenzie of Talking Dreads.

The closing ceremony will be addressed by Dr. Colin Young, the executive director of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, Rueanna Haynes, the Trinidad-born international climate law and governance specialist, Anya Edwin, the vice-chairperson of the Caribbean Regional Youth Council, Dr. James Fletcher, the founder of the Caribbean Climate Justice Project, and Kendel Hippolyte, the acclaimed poet, playwright, director and environmental activist, who will do a reading of one of his poems. More information on our guest speakers can be found at www.caribbeanclimatejustice.org/speakers.

The Virtual Youth Parliament, which is being hosted on Whova and Zoom platforms, is also supporting and highlighting the work of young Caribbean entrepreneurs, by providing a free Exhibitors Forum, where over 50 young Caribbean business owners are profiling their services. The Exhibitors Forum can be accessed at www.caribbeanclimatejustice.org/exhibitors and on the Whova platform.

The inaugural Virtual Caribbean Youth Parliament on Climate Justice is made possible through the generous support of premium sponsors The Open Society Foundation, the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, the Rocky Mountain Institute, the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, Massy Stores (SLU), and SOLORICON, and gold sponsors Jade Mountain-Anse Chastanet and MINDS Consulting.

You can follow the Parliament by signing up on the Whova Platform at https://whova.com/portal/registration/ypcj_202109/. Alternatively, you may follow the proceedings on Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82985406046?pwd=RnEzYTNiN3VPY0dCSzdLd2hPK0RKdz09, and on the Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/caribbeanclimatejustice) platform of the Caribbean Climate Justice Project. 

James Fletcher

Coordinator, Caribbean Climate Justice Project (#CCJPYP21)