Young Caribbean Voices Captured in ‘What CARICOM Means to YOUth’ Anthology

Young Caribbean voices have been brought together in a new regional anthology exploring how the Caribbean Community is understood by the generation that will shape its future.

What CARICOM Means to YOUth was officially launched on Wednesday, August 12, at the Hunter J. François Library of Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC), coinciding with International Youth Day celebrations globally.

The initiative was led by the CARICOM Youth Ambassadors of Saint Lucia and invited young people to respond creatively to the question, “What does CARICOM mean to you?” through poetry, stories, song lyrics and spoken word.

Deputy CARICOM Youth Ambassador of Saint Lucia Naeem Philbert expressed that as organizers, the Ambassadors saught creative expression from entries as they “wanted to create a space in which young people did not have to speak in the language of institutions. They could simply speak as themselves.”

Submissions were received from young people across several in nine CARICOM Member States, with contributors ranging from as young as 10 to as old as 28 years old.

The project began during Reading Month 2026, with the initial intention of having the completed publication form part of activities surrounding the 51st Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM in Saint Lucia. However, organisers later determined that the collection warranted a dedicated launch. The collection explores themes including Caribbean identity, belonging, culture, opportunity, mobility and the future of regional integration.

Three contributors were recognised for outstanding submissions. Daviah Frank of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines received Best Poetic Contribution; Trinidad and Tobago’s 14-year-old Ezekiel Francis received Best Narrative/Expository Contribution; and Adesh Nanan of Trinidad and Tobago received Best Song/Lyrical Contribution.

During the launch, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth Development Mr. Rohan Lubon expressed that “we are not only launching a publication. We are opening a window into the minds, dreams, hopes, concerns and aspirations of our young people. We are giving space to their voices and acknowledging that when young people are given the opportunity to express themselves, they have much to say and much to contribute to the future of our Caribbean.”

For these young people and for society at large, the anthology now stands, as put by Philbert, an “archive of how a generation of Caribbean young people understood their Community at this particular moment in our history.”