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Caribbean Development Trends

Rich discussion at the V Caribbean Civil Society Forum

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Photo credit by Kerneisha Beckles – Dr. David Bratt and Mr. Ian Ho-A-Shu

On May 27, a cross section of Civil Society Representatives from the Caribbean came together to participate in the IDB’s Fifth Caribbean Civil Society Meeting, held at the Hyatt Regency in Trinidad. This year’s theme was ‘Social Innovation’ and highlighted some of the most pressing issues affecting the Region and its development: Climate Change, Childhood obesity and Education with a focus on skills for work and life.

Participants commended the IDB on the selection of topics and the rich discussion from the cross section of practioners and specialists in the respective areas. Topics generated considerable dialogue and based on comments from participants during the event, here are the top 4 moments:

Presentation by a winner of the Lumination Challenge in Trinidad and Tobago – A young entrepreneur, Asiya Mohammed, from Trinidad and Tobago who designed a socially innovative programme, the Butterfly project, in which female survivors of violence are empowered through training to create jewellery as a means to becoming financially independent and agents of change.

Forum on Childhood Obesity – Co-presenters Dr. David Bratt and Ian Ho-A-Shu shocked participants with information on the epidemic of childhood obesity across the Caribbean Region. The presenters candidly discussed how dire the situation is while providing practical solutions on addressing this challenge. The call for action was loud and clear.

Rich, candid discussion – A common thread running through this year’s event was the keen participation by attendees. There were rich contributions by presenters and the audience alike. The sessions on childhood obesity and education were particularly thought provoking as participants highlighted practical examples of challenges. The passion of Civil Society organisations for these causes and regional development was evident in all sessions.

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Photo credit by Kerneisha Beckles – Participants engaged in the presentation

Cultural event – In true ‘trini’ style, there was a mini fete. Entertainment involved performances by two of Trinidad’s best entertainers, Black Sage, one of the country’s prolific extempo artists and Ken “Professor” Philmore, Trinidad and Tobago’s premier steelpan soloist. Participants got the opportunity to show off their dancing skills!

For further information on the presentations and discussions, please use this link

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Priya Ramsumair-John

Priya Ramsumair-John is a Development Professional with over 14 years of experience in development in the Caribbean. She is a Project Management Professional (PMP), Scrum Master and is also certified in Change Management. She is currently a Senior Operations Analyst at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Trinidad and Tobago (TT) office where for the past 11 years, she has supported the project and portfolio management for the IDB’s public sector portfolio in TT. These projects have been primarily in the social sector, housing and urban development, climate change and tourism. Priya is also qualified in Tourism Development and Management. She holds an MSc. In Tourism Development from the University of Surrey, United Kingdom, and a BSc in Tourism Management from the University of the West Indies. Before joining the IDB, Priya held positions in the Caribbean as a lecturer in local and regional Universities. Additionally, she has worked with consulting firms with a focus on strategy development and implementation in tourism and sustainable development for local economic areas.

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