Editorial - The Intergenerational Workplace

By Donna Ramsammy, Editor-in-Chief

Shaped by the socio-economic and political upheavals of the last two decades, the billions of youth across the planet are more informed about global issues than previous generations due to technology. They are also quick to mobilise on a global scale to force change in ways that previous generations couldn’t. Protest, cancel culture, movements and digital convergence are all features of youth resistance and resilience today. This generation of youth are leading change and inspiring good in the Caribbean and on every continent.

1965 heralded the United Nations Declaration on the Promotion among Youth of the Ideals of Peace, Mutual Respect and Understanding between Peoples. Since then, the UN has continually endorsed guidelines, policies and programmes for youth inclusion and participation in efforts towards development and peace.

2023 was declared ‘Year of Youth’ by the Commonwealth Secretariat as a year dedicated to youth led action for sustainable and inclusive development. Activities were focussed on the empowerment of some 1.5 billion across Commonwealth nations. Youth “Changemakers” were encouraged to join with civil society and governments to shape a future that is “secure, fair, and sustainable”.

In support of the Commonwealth Year of Youth, this issue of the Review recognises and celebrates Youth Changemakers in the Caribbean – among these are persons recognised by the Commonwealth as making a difference through innovation and interventions for societal progress and regional sustainability. Winners Shergaun Roserier and Maya Nanan are featured in this issue.

Education moves to the street at De Cawna Library as Jamaican activist Rachael McDonald takes a bold approach to reigniting interest in reading by bringing street culture and literacy together. It is a courageous rebirthing of our history of gathering at the neighbourhood corner, and where, by harnessing the wisdom of the elders and infusing it with the passion and promise of youth, we can recover peace, and create a secure and sustainable future – village by village and town by town.

Corporate Caribbean embraces the absolute necessity of youth inclusion in equipping the region to be more competitive and resilient in the face of economic challenges driven by disruptions to supply chains, trade imbalances, legacy debt, inequities in deployment of technology, and the growing effects of climate change.

Investments in youth are delivering significant ROI through projects such as

‣ Atlantic’s Point Fortin’s Finest Leadership Development Programme,

‣ NGC’s sporting and skills training partnerships,

‣ Heritage’s Information Technology TrainingHITT,

‣ PowerGen’s sporting excellence sponsorship,

‣ bpTT’s coral and seagrass restoration project MARIN,

‣ Shell’s Re-Ernergize TnT advocates,

‣ B-Mobile’s JumpSTART business entrepreneurship, and

‣ Ansa McAl’s Youth Champions which is making strides in building leadership competence.

Joshua Hercules is exemplary in championing the cause for getting youth off the street. Once an actor and victim of gang culture, he has come from the edge to become a strong advocate for youth entrepreneurism and youth action for a safer and more secure future through community collaboration. Joshua shows that self awareness and selfcare are essentials for beating the odds.

In Guyana, Agriculture and not just oil and gas, is fuelling a sustainable future for the South American neighbour. Youth commitment is needed for growing the industry to manage the scope and scale of food security for the country and its CARICOM partners.

Our features section examines mental health as a serious concern among youth; and how women leaders in the Energy Sector can make ESG a fundamental in the way business is delivered. Also in this section, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), is a new piece of legislation from the European Union (EU) which aims to standardise data disclosure on the impact of their activities by big business.