Caribbean Vizion is an organisation that lobbies for cultural and economic co-operation between Caribbean people and their governments. The group’s chief executive officer, Choc’ late Allen, is just 13 years old.

Caribbean Vizion has been working in many Caribbean islands on various projects to educate and empower youths. In Trinidad and Tobago Ms Allen undertook, on Monday, January 8, a week-long reading fast, as part of her “100% Crime Free Project” which generated a lot of attention and positive feedback (cf Catholic News Jan 28 ).

She also visited schools across the country informing the youth of “EduCulture” and the importance of building a good foundation. This endeavour was also well received.

EduCulture is the “creative use of cultural arts to motivate and inspire young people to achieve both academic and artistic success, thereby developing a relationship between education and culture”, stated the organisation.

EduCulture can facilitate, according to the organisation, a reduction in crime, poverty, illiteracy, HIV/AIDS, violence, teenage pregnancy, low self-esteem and student gangs, as its focus is the youth of the Caribbean.

Choc'late Allen

To that end Caribbean Vizion has been working in several Caribbean islands, visiting the youth in schools, in prisons, initiating several EduCulture programmes to help foster this change and they have been very successful in connecting with the youth. “It’s all about the youth,” said Ms Allen.

 “If we give them a chance, not to be tied down by all the curriculum in school, if they realise that they can use their creativity to help them in life, then they will be empowered, they will have a skill for life, they will have a vision.”

Caribbean Vizion recognises that the Caribbean region is blessed with highly talented and creative youth and that these youth are not living up to their potential.

“When you look at what’s happening around us…the crime, the murder, it’s just sad,” said Ms Allen.

The organisation, which consists of Caricom nationals, came into being on October 15, 2001 and was endorsed at the 13th meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) held in October in Georgetown, Guyana.

The council recommended that Member States facilitate the “Educulture” schools tour programme within CARICOM, and the general involvement of the group in appropriate youth and culture programmes in the region.

The organisation has also received support from Caricom secretary general Dr Edwin Carrington, Prime Ministers of St Kitts and Nevis Dr Denzel Douglas, and St Vincent and the Grenadines Dr Ralph Gonsalves, Samuel Hinds from Guyana and St Lucia’s Dr Kenny Anthony, and more recently, Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Patrick Manning.

These regional leaders have recognised the value of the organisation in helping to develop and strengthen support systems that aim to bring about regional integration coupled with the central theme of education.

Caribbean Vizion believes that education plans must not only be limited to literacy and numeric skills but also include students’ social skills such as teamwork.

“Supportive learning programmes to boost students’ readiness to learn should be made part of the entire system and the ‘EduCulture’ programme can be utilised as an important tool to this end. Emphasis must be placed on creating conditions and an environment in which the student is the prime focus, said Ms Allen.

Through its work Caribbean Vizion aims to increase awareness among youth on the effects of crime and drug and alcohol abuse on their lives and the lives of others; to aid in decreasing the rate of school dropouts; to help students understand the importance of sustainable environmental practices; to help them discover love and passion for their skills and to further develop themselves by positively using their talents; to assist students to learn and practise social skills in order to recognise, manage, avoid, and leave behind risky situations that they may encounter; and to help them prepare for their real-world experiences through fostering self-esteem, confidence, social skills, decision-making, and discipline.