The Caribbean Stars Youth Club or the C.S.Y.C as it is commonly called is a youth organization which seeks to help strengthen ties among Caricom member states and Cuba, through the union of the Caricom nationals currently pursuing studies on the island.
The CSYC’s initiative and launching represent to date the best of my many achievements within these past 5 years that I’ve spend in Cuba as a medical student. The proposal was made sometime in mid October of 2011 and by November 2nd that same year during a round table discussion with ACC’s president María Rollok, the project was given the green lights. It was launched 3 days after with its first batch of members from Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica and St. Lucia at the ACC’s Headquarters in Marianao, Havana.
The CSYC stands on strong pillars as an organization built on a social, political and cultural foundation. Since its genesis the club has made transparent its specific objectives which are to educate persons with limited or no knowledge of Caribbean Community Caricom, its achievements and future projections; to actively participate in the ongoing campaign in the fight against HIV/AIDS and drug abuse among young people; to always display the refreshing image of the Caribbean community in all its endeavors and last but certainly not the least, to create a medium where the young generation can come and merge their ideas to secure a better future.
With an admirable coverage of almost all of the internationally recognized Universities/Faculties in Havana, the CSYC serves as a powerful and influential unit over a significant proportion of the foreign student community, with approximately 3,000 students under its radar. These students are unevenly distributed in the central and peripheral institutions of higher education in the island’s capital namely the Latin American School of Medicine, Victoria de Girón, The University of Havana, The Calixto Garcia General Hospital, The Sports School and the ‘Ciudad Universitaria José Antonio Echevarría (CUJAE)’.
At present the CSYC has an executive body of 28 charismatic and enthusiastic members representing 11 of the 15 Caricom member states and Cuba, and 30 other registered members. Since our beginning, we have been receiving positive reviews from the foreign student community. Predictions reveal a significant increase in our network of members before the end of the first quarter of 2012.
Just recently the CSYC has managed successfully to gather under the same roof in one night some 500 Caribbean, African and Latin American students at the ‘Castillito Multipurpose Complex’ where its members unveiled their first Caribbean cultural explosion, The Miss Caribbean Havana Beauty Pageant.
That well applauded competition was held on December 17 last with 13 participants from seven of the fifteen Caricom countries and Cuba.
Jamaica’s Navesha Duncan, a second year medical student of the Latin American School of Medicine slipped away with the coveted crown and other prizes while Dominica’s Keiran Newton, concluded as 1st runner-up. St. Lucia’s Kezee Leonce was ranked 2nd runner up in the competition while Guyana’s Colleen Adams and Sonia Watts were awarded 3rd and 4th runners-up respectively. That event consisted of 6 segments; the introduction, costume/identity, talent, bear wear, elegance and the final question.
Newton, since the commencement of the event had been the crowd’s favorite, but her faith took a drastic change in the final question segment where Duncan’s powerful and well defended response to her question allowed her to easily escape with the crown.
Despite her dreaded end, Kieran won three of the five awards which were up for grabs in the event including Ms. Congeniality, Best Evening Gown and Best Talent.
The competition has been categorized as a successful event by a recorded 95% of its audience despite the organizational hiccups due to inexperience.
CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES PLANNED FOR 2012
The CSYC has a calendar of activities planned for 2012 which includes a round table discussion on the formation of the Caribbean and Latin American Union {La Comunidad de Estados Latinoamericanos y el Caribe C.E.L.A.C}, born last December in Caracas, Venezuela. It is expected an audience of all Caricom Ambassadors in Cuba, the Minister or a representative of Cuba’s External Relations Ministry, a significant representation of the Latin American Ambassadors and university students of diverse areas of study.
The main objectives of this encounter are to facilitate the awareness of CELAC within the foreign student body in Cuba and to seek out the areas where our involvement at this level could result vital. It is slated to be unfolded in early February at the ACC.
Our biggest activity for the year will be The Caribbean Convention whose presumed date is March 23rd, 24th and 25that a campsite in Cienfuegos under the theme “Explore the Caribbean”. This three day event will definitely assist us in achieving our objective in educating persons or to bring about awareness on Caricom, taking into account the countless number of countries with student delegations not affiliated with the Caribbean Community in our universities. ‘Explore the Caribbean’ will adapt various characteristics of Carifesta and each country/delegation of students will have a booth of their own to display their art, craft, music, food, products of export, literature, etc to the estimated six hundred students from most of the Latin American, African and Caribbean countries who will be present at that event.
The Haitian Delegation has been awarded an exclusive segment in this activity, where they will be presenting a seminar to the audience about their history, culture and most importantly, to talk about their resilience to the series of unfortunate natural disasters that rocked the island last year. Cienfuegos has been selected as the province of choice for that event based on its geographical location and to secure full participation of students in all 14 provinces. This convention is currently in planning and it is expected to be completed with explicit details by the first week of February.
Leading up to and after the activity mentioned before, there is also the Caricom Awareness Campaign for small delegations of Cuba’s secondary, pre-university and university students which will be organized monthly at the hall of the ACC.
There are also workshops on HIV/AIDS and on the spot HIV/AIDS testing, Teenage Pregnancy, Drug and Alcohol Abuse among young people, a Blood Drive {donation} and Health Promotion which will be spearheaded by Cuban specialists who have already signaled their full participation in the execution of these workshops alongside CSYC members.
There are a few cultural and recreational activities also planned for the year which include a Caricom weekend of sports June 1st, 2nd and 3rd, a weekend of religious concerts {Hindu, Muslim and Christian} April 13th, 14thand 15thand the Mr. Flex competition slated for Saturday March 17th.
