The VYBZING Forum is an annual youth event coordinated by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Ministries of Government, Development Institutions and Youth Organizations. The forum is hosted throughout the Caribbean and this year, CDB Youth have partnered with YOURS to deliver a Youth and Road Safety Workshop within the framework of VYBZING in St Lucia.
CDB and Youth ‘VYBZING’ Outreach Programme is a platform for youth engagement with emphasis on youth empowerment and participation in the development process. It facilitates communication among youth and with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) on social and economic development issues and challenges that are impacting their lives. This year, CDB alongside Government Ministries of St Lucia; Ministry of Youth Development and Sports, Ministry of Infrastructure, Port Services and Transport, have partnered with YOURS to run the VYBZING Forum on youth and road safety issues, themed ‘ Road Safety: Save a Life, Save a Future’.
The forum takes place in the Ixora Conference Centre, Bay Gardens Inn, St Lucia and serves as a stunning backdrop for road safety empowerment, advocacy and action. Based on the Capacity Development Programme, this three day forum (15-17 May 2013) will engage a group of youth leaders from St Lucia to be trained on key elements of road safety, localized to a Caribbean context.
The aim of the forum is to culminate in a Youth Declaration for Road Safety in the Caribbean, which will call upon decision makers to enact road safety targeted at youth to save young lives and combat the biggest killer of young people worldwide; road traffic crashes. The initiative is part of the Caribbean Development Bank’s (CDB) Youth VYBZING Outreach Programme.
The elements of the forum will focus on key trainings to be delivered by YOURS on the following topics:
- Opening introductions by Honorable Shawn Edward, Minister of Youth Development and Sports. Ministry of Youth Development and Sports.
- Presentations on Caribbean Road Safety by Chief Transport Officer for the St Lucia Ministry of Infrastructre, Port Services and Transport
- Interactive road saftey workshops on Youth and Road Traffic Injuries, Scope of the Road Safety Problem in St Lucia, The Caribbean and the World, Distracted Driving, Project Management, Implementing a Road Safety Project and Briefings to Keep Road Safety Projects going.
- Alongside this, training on the Youth Declaration for Road Safety for the Caribbean and the adoption of it will take place.
Floor Lieshout, Director of YOURS said,