ENT, OUR FUTURE the UNESCO World Conference on Education
several climate and environmental initiatives
for Sustainable Development. After sharing her
organised by CYEN. In 2015, Jodykay obtained
experience as a Commonwealth Scholar and
an internship at the UNEP (United Nations
youth advocate with me on a six-hour bus ride,
Environment Programme) office in Jamaica,
she had succeeded in convincing me to apply –
and is now a consultant at the Inter-American
but she also disclosed that it was difficult for her
Development Bank. Snaliah landed a job at the
to find suitable employment in Jamaica. I found
Embassy of Mexico, and has gone on to work
this implausible, thinking that surely there must
for the UNDP (United Nations Development
be decent work available for someone who
Programme) in St Lucia; she is also the Editor
holds an MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable
of the Climate-Exchange website. Both have
Development from the University of Cambridge.
remained committed to the fight for greater participation of young people in environmental
When I returned home, I also found out that
democracy and governance.
Snaliah Mahal, also an alumnus (1993 Shared Scholar from St Lucia) and a fellow member of
In the future, the CSC can potentially play
the Caribbean Youth Environment Network
a more integral role in strengthening youth
(CYEN), was also unemployed, following her
participation
MSc in Climate Change and International
by providing greater support to members of
in
environmental
democracy
Development at the University of East Anglia.
youth-led NGOs and civil society in general.
I can presume that this was a tough period for
As it stands, many youth-led organisations do
both Scholars, but it was early days, as both
not have the technical expertise and capacity
ladies had completed their studies only a few
to effectively participate in environmental
months earlier.
democracy, and so young people generally do not get to maximise their ability to influence
Even though these Scholars did not find
policymaking and implementation.
employment straightaway after graduating, they
COMMON KNOWLEDGE JUNE 2016
were able to immediately use their expertise and
On the façade of things, civil society organisations
experience gained in the UK, because they were
are now slowly shifting away from the regular
active members of youth-led environmental
use of confrontational lobbying strategies,
organisations. Jodykay was involved in a long-
such as protests, to a more collaborative
range urban planning initiative in Jamaica,
problem-solving approach with governments,
while Snaliah was actively participating in
through tactics such as negotiations and the
COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIPS
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