Background

Geoversity is the University of Nature. Our main campus is located in the Mamoni Valley Reserve, a conservation area of 4,800 hectares of tropical rainforest. Geoversity leads a growing community of individuals and organizations united in the mission of biocultural renewal. Our programs are based on daily watershed conservation work and the fight to prevent global ecological collapse, always in collaboration with local communities, indigenous authorities, and youth activists. 

RCOY Caribbean is the Regional Conference of Caribbean Youth on Climate Change themed “Building Financial Resilience for Youth-Led Climate Adaptation in The Caribbean”. It is a gathering of young people between the ages of 18-35 from 23 Caribbean countries and territories from October 17-20, 2023. RCOY Caribbean brings together young people passionate about addressing the environmental and socio-economic challenges in their respective countries and developing innovative climate solutions. This conference is a vital occasion to spotlight youth advocacy and strengthen regional connections for collaboration on adaptation strategies to build climate-resilient communities across the Caribbean.

YME Bahamas — the organizer of RCOY Caribbean —is a Bahamian non-profit with the mission to inspire communities to actively participate in the conservation of their environment and resources through community projects, research, education, and sustainability stewardship that honours indigenous and ancient wisdom.

The Ashley Lashley Foundation was launched in December 2019, building on four (4) years of activism by Ashley Lashley, a Barbadian UNICEF Youth Advocate with a wide focus on social development issues particularly as it relates to health, the environment, and women’s rights. Between 2018 to 2023, the Ashley Lashley Foundation has hosted four Global Youth Network Summits as it relates to Non-Communicable Diseases, Sustainable Development Goals, Climate change and Health and Sports for Climate Action. In 2020, The Ashley Lashley Foundation founded the HEY (Healthy and Environmentally Friendly Youth) Campaign, a Caribbean-initiated campaign on Climate Change and health with global outreach, seeking to build bridges between youth in the Caribbean and around the World.

Objectives

• Emphasize effective communication strategies to ensure that underrepresented perspectives are added to climate conversations and climate change narratives are framed for the intended audience (policy makers, communities, the public, etc.)
• Raise awareness regarding the importance of community-led solutions and youth-led initiatives to advance adaptation strategies in the Caribbean and Latin America.
• Raise awareness regarding community-led initiatives in Indigenous communities in the region and indigenous artistic and cultural initiatives to fight climate change through the participation of the Guna Yala indigenous community
• Strengthen capacity and agency for young people to engage in climate action by providing advice and pathways to access tools and resources, and highlighting examples of youth-led community based climate initiatives
• Inspire youth from the region and beyond to take more radical action on the climate emergency based on the experiences and stories of community leaders. 

Agenda and Format

Outcomes

• Young people leave with confidence and communication strategies to hold their leaders accountable to youth inclusive and ambitious climate policies  
• Young people will be aware of Indigenous communities’ struggles and vulnerabilities in the face of the climate emergency and of their active engagement in that context. 
• Young people will be aware of community-led youth initiatives across the region.
• Young people are aware of resources and opportunities to continue being involved in regional climate action work