CARIBBEAN YOUTH DAY 2021: Address from Ms Renee Atwell, Dean, CARICOM Youth Ambassador Corps

September 30, 2021 CARICOM

Theme: Building Resilience: COVID-19, Mental Health & Caribbean Development

I take this opportunity to wish all young persons within the Caribbean Region and in the Diaspora Happy Caribbean Youth Day. Today we celebrate under the theme “Building Resilience: COVID-19, Mental Health & Caribbean Development”

As we are aware, the Region is still grappling with the COVID-19 Pandemic. More than a year has passed, and we continue to see the disastrous effects of the Pandemic coupled with the unique challenges that we continue to face as small island developing states. Our health systems remain burdened, unemployment remains high and far-reaching economic effects are being seen and felt. Notwithstanding, our resilience and dedication as a people will help us to charter the way forward as we fight this Pandemic.

Mental health, has for a long time, been a taboo topic within the Region. It still is an uncomfortable conversation for many; however, the COVID-19 Pandemic has highlighted the severity of mental health issues within the Region, particularly relating to the Region’s youth. Many young persons have reported instances of depression, anxiety, personality disorders and other related mental health issues due to isolation, job loss, the digital divide, and online schooling, to name a few. In fact, UNICEF Latin America and the Caribbean concluded a survey on the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of adolescents and youth, which found that among the participants, 27% reported feeling anxiety and 15% depression in the last seven days. For 30%, the main reason influencing their current emotions is the economic situation. The impacts of the worrying factors plague the minds of youth who are compelled to deal with the social and economic effects of this global Pandemic.

The CARICOM Youth Ambassador (CYA) Corps continues its partnership with youth organisations such as the CRYC and UWI STAT to call on our leaders to intervene and invest resources in dealing with mental health issues to plan and execute programmes for the Region’s youth. We acknowledge the efforts made by the PAHO and the CARICOM in providing material and training in critical areas to address mental health. However, we believe more can and should be done to forge public and private and multilateral partnerships to develop and implement more wide-reaching responses to the global challenges of mental health. There is definitely need for more training for our educators, increased mental health services offerings and public education to deal with the stigmatisation of mental health.

When there is insufficient infrastructural support for mental health issues, our young people cannot be productive at home, school, or the workplace. They often resort to criminal activities and other forms of unproductive behaviour. We must ensure that mental health remains a priority within the Region and that sufficient resources are available to deal with this regional and global issue.

Despite the mental health challenges confronting our Region’s youth, we have a lot to be proud of and a lot to celebrate. Our Region’s youth have excelled at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, many young persons have started businesses, pursuing entrepreneurship, and our previously outdated ITC systems, for the most part, have been rehauled, which caters for this generation of tech-savvy youth.

As we continue our vaccination efforts to regain a new sense of ‘normalcy’, let us continue championing the cause of mental health. We can work across borders and display a true sense of regionalism when we tackle issues from a regional perspective. Undoubtedly, our history is similar, our problems are similar, and our solutions can be better when we pool ideas and resources to achieve the social and economic development needed for this Region.

Happy Caribbean Youth Day 2021.