We are very excited to announce the recruitment of 11 new Youth Road Safety Champions from across the Carribean region who represent a new wave of road safety conscious youth. These National Champions join our ever growing network of youth who are passionate about the cause and want to take concrete action on the issue. This new group of National Champions come after the pilot in Anglophone Africa.
The Caribbean Champions have been recruited after a rigorous process finding the most passionate and well position youth to represent their country on road safety issues in the broader YOURS Youth Network for Road Safety. The champions come from all across the region representing its vast geographic and cultural differences. Along with the Caribbean Islands, the National Champions in the region are renewing road safety efforts in the region as YOURS continues to expand its work with Caribbean Youth.
This iniative was taken up by Caribbean CORE Group Representative Mr Erland George.
Erland said the following about the recruitment of these Champions in the Region:
The countries of the Caribbean like numerous others universally confront a continuous problem of deaths on our roads. Every year road fatalities claim the lives of our friends and loved ones. Sadly progress to address this problem is slow across the region and the figures show an inconsistent picture from one year to another. One of the ways to address the issues of road safety in the Caribbean is through the average citizen on the street being able to understand the issue and becoming responsible for his/her actions on the roads.
With the introduction of the National Road Safety Champions, we are hoping to equip a large cross section of the region with the necessary road safety knowledge and skills. Additionally, it allows us to have our eyes and ears on the ground in each nation through the champions. This will allow us to to better be able to cater our programming to each individual as well as garner a regional perspective based on information gathered from each nation. The introduction of the champions will significantly enhance the work of YOURS in the Caribbean Region.
Director of YOURS Mr Floor Lieshout said:
Youth all around the world are seeing these crashes affect their communities and they are standing up to show the world that youth themselves will take some of the responsibility to reduce road traffic crashes. The recruitment of the Caribbean National Champions is a welcome addition to our growing network of youth ambassadors for road safety. We exist to not only work to bring road safety higher up the decision making agenda but also to support youth to engage in meaningful participation in promoting road safety. Our work in the Caribbean will be much richer now that we have these youth in our network.
Meet the Caribbean National Champions for Road Safety:
Dominique Newton – Dominica
“I’m ecstatic to be a part of such an amazing organization, and advocate for such an important cause, that too often is overlooked. I look forward to working with my peers in changing both perspectives and habits, and promoting effective road safety guidelines for a more secure Caribbean”.
“The safety actions we take today will determine our tomorrow, let it start with me”.
Chelcia Ferdinand – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
“I am truly elated to be joining the Youth for Road Safety (YOURS) Team across the Caribbean. The road ahead may be difficult, given that it is the first time that such an appointment has been made in my country – but it is a journey I eagerly anticipate, as I look forward to other young persons jumping on board this great initiative”.
Amanda St. Romain – Antigua and Barbuda
“Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.” – Tim Duncan
