The Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) launched its St. Vincent and the Grenadines chapter on Friday, March 5, at the JEMS’ Headquarters in Enhams. The organisation’s membership comprises of youth groups as well as individuals.{{more}}  It has members and affiliates in 17 Caribbean territories: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and affiliate Diaspora members reside in Bermuda, Britain, Canada and the USA.

CYEN focuses its resources on empowering young people and their communities to develop programmes to address socio-economic and environmental issues. It is also dedicated to improving the quality of life of Caribbean young people by facilitating their personal development and promoting their full involvement in all matters pertaining to the environment and sustainable development. The organisation promotes education and training, Caribbean integration and community empowerment as tools to develop cohesion among young people to assists in the conservation and protection of natural resources within the Wider Caribbean.

In addition, CYEN programmes are geared towards addressing issues such as poverty alleviation and youth employment, health and HIV/AIDS, climatic changes and global warming, impact of natural disasters/hazards, improvement in potable water, conservation and waste management and other natural resource management issues.

National coordinator Laura Richards outlined the following as objectives of the local chapter:

1. To improve the quality of life of Vincentians by facilitating their personal development.

2. To promote young people’s full involvement in all matters pertaining to the environment and sustainable development.

3. To assist in the conservation and protection of natural resources with in the wider Caribbean.

4. To educate on:

* Caribbean integration

* Community empowerment

* The three R’s: reduce, reuse and recycle

* The management of natural resources

* Solid waste management.’

   The keynote speaker was Andrew Simmons. In his address he celebrated the partnerships between CYEN and lime as well as CYEN and the Taiwanese Embassy. He also used the opportunity to recognise the persons who were instrumental in the early development of CYEN as well as commissioning the CYEN chapter and its membership                               

Present at the launch were Lime’s Country Manager Angus Steele and His Excellency Leo Lee, the Ambassador of Republic of China – Taiwan to St. Vincent. Both of these entities have pledged their support to CYEN.