Trip up for grabs in climate change competition

The Ashley Lashley Foundation is continuing to encourage Barbadian students to become leaders in local, regional and global discussions that address environmental issues affecting Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

UNICEF Youth Advocate Ashley Lashley said the foundation launched the Young Environmental Writers Award on Regionalism and Climate Change to get young people between ages 16-25 to add their voice to the climate change conversation.

She told Barbados TODAY that the first-prize winner of the competition will receive the opportunity to attend the Bahamas Youth Climate Change Conference. 

“The idea for the award was actually developed after the establishment last year of the first-ever Barbados Youth Climate Action Summit and Expo. As the founder of that forum, I wanted to find different ways in which young Barbadians could be granted opportunities to craft their skills and their knowledge on environmental justice globally.

“We were looking at going into partnerships with different global institutions and governments. And throughout that journey between last year July to today, what we have done is to partner with the Bahamas Youth Climate Change Conference that is being hosted by the Government of the Bahamas,” Lashley said.

She said that while a Barbadian would be attending the conference in the Bahamas in July, that country has promised to send two young Bahamians to the Barbados Youth Climate Action Summit in October.

Lashley said it is important for opportunities to be provided to promote excellence among the youth in secondary and tertiary institutions.

“The fully-funded opportunity is being supported as well by the Ministry of Youth Affairs, and within this award as well, we are hoping through the Ashley Lashley Foundation to inspire students to become leaders in local, regional and global discussions and initiatives that really address depressing environmental issues that we are seeing, not only in Barbados, but across Small Island Developing States (SIDS). 

“We are hoping to take this young environmental writer award a step further in hopefully sending one or two Barbadians again to COP28, which would be taking place in Dubai,” Lashley said. 

The essay, which should focus on energy, youth, agriculture, water and policy, should be a maximum of 500 words and must be submitted by 8 p.m. on June 22, 2023, via a link available on the Ashley Lashley Foundation Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram pages. (AH)