The inaugural sitting of the Caribbean Parliamentary Assembly (CPA) brought together student leaders from The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, in a mock parliament on Saturday, marking the start of what organisers intend to become a sustained platform for youth engagement and policy debate.
The CPA is a subsidiary of the UWI STAT (Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow) Vice Chancellor’s Ambassador Corps and was the brainchild of the Cave Hill chapter, which partnered with the Cave Hill Guild of Students and campus student associations.
Prime Minister of the CPA Joshua Harris explained that members are nominated by their respective island associations.
He said the assembly comprises “two members from each island association, three members from the guild of students, and four members from the Vice Chancellor’s Ambassador Corps at The UWI”, with the president of the law society serving as the Speaker. Harris added that the Rotary Club of Barbados was also incorporated into the initiative to strengthen its civic foundation.
At Saturday’s session, the first official sitting of the body, members debated the role of emerging technologies in the region’s development, with a focus on artificial intelligence.
Harris said they hope to sit once every three months, adding that virtual sessions may be required during the summer, when students return to their home countries.
He also highlighted the diverse academic backgrounds of participants.
“Some people are doing economics, some people are doing law. I am doing political science, and others study sports and all sorts of things,” he said.
Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for Youth and Culture, Senator Shane Archer, welcomed the initiative, describing it as a positive step towards strengthening civic engagement among young people.
“It’s great to see the university students taking part in this engagement here today (Saturday), as a Caribbean parliament,” Archer said. “We’ve not seen one in many, many years, so it’s great to see the students start this initiative to engage in civic responsibility.”
He urged participants to extend their engagement beyond formal debates to engagement with the public, explaining that such interaction would help them better understand regional concerns.
Archer also expressed hope that the initiative could evolve into a recognised regional voice.
“I hope that one day… they can also make recommendations to the CARICOM Secretariat,” he said.
He further supported the resumption of parliamentary outreach programmes for younger students, which were halted during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent renovations to Parliament.
“I think that it was paused with COVID-19, but then also when the House had to get renovated,” Archer said. “Yes, it’s something that I think that we should carry on for sure, so that it encourages young persons to engage in civic responsibility.”
The sitting was live streamed, allowing wider regional audiences to observe the proceedings. (SZB)
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