标签： Saint Lucia

Following a life-changing participation in the Paris Global Peace Summit, Saint Lucian peace advocate Kenier Barthelmy-Williams is championing a new, youth-first proactive strategy for peacebuilding in her home country, reshaping local approaches to conflict prevention and community empowerment.

Barthelmy-Williams, who serves as a peace ambassador, says the international summit fundamentally shifted her understanding of what peacebuilding truly entails. Moving beyond the traditional reactive model that only intervenes after violence breaks out, she emphasizes that sustainable peace requires intentional, upstream work that addresses vulnerabilities before they escalate into conflict. “Peacebuilding is not only about bringing an end to violence or responding to conflict after it happens, but it is also about creating opportunities and environments that prevent young people from becoming vulnerable,” she explained.

A key takeaway from the summit was the deep interconnectedness between global sustainable development and long-term peace. She says she left the gathering inspired by how nations around the world integrate United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into local peacebuilding work to cultivate more stable, inclusive communities.

Guided by these new insights, Barthelmy-Williams has set a core goal to build formal, sustained support structures for young Saint Lucians. At the heart of her vision is the creation of intentional safe spaces that foster open dialogue, connect young people with trusted mentors, build critical leadership capacities, and encourage participation in positive, community-focused activities. This vision ultimately led her to found the Pathways to Peace Network, an initiative born from her years of on-the-ground work with Saint Lucian youth and her growing recognition of the unmet demand for accessible emotional and psychological support for the island’s young population.

“Peace is the foundation of a successful life,” Barthelmy-Williams said. “We cannot truly empower young people if they do not first have peace within themselves.”

The Pathways to Peace Network is designed to fill this gap by establishing community-centered safe spaces where young people can process trauma, feel their experiences validated, build self-confidence, and develop the leadership skills that will drive positive change for both their own lives and their neighborhoods. Meaningful, inclusive dialogue stands as a cornerstone of the network’s mission, something Barthelmy-Williams calls irreplaceable for rebuilding frayed trust in communities strained by division and conflict.

She stresses that constructive dialogue extends far beyond rigid, formal public meetings. It requires active listening, empathetic understanding, and non-judgmental respect for all perspectives, whether that conversation happens in a structured group setting or in an informal one-on-one interaction that makes young people feel safe enough to share their authentic experiences.

“Dialogue requires consistency, empathy, and genuine care,” she noted. “When young people feel understood, valued, and respected, they become more willing to share openly and reconnect with others.”

Dialogue alone is not enough, Barthelmy-Williams adds: these conversations must translate into tangible action, clear accountability, and sustained support for young people. Even so, she believes large-scale community trust building starts small, with one honest, respectful interaction at a time.

Turning to the most pressing challenges facing Saint Lucia’s youth today, Barthelmy-Williams identifies endemic crime and violence, harmful peer pressure, widespread unaddressed mental health struggles, and substance abuse as the most critical barriers to youth well-being and community peace. To effectively tackle these issues, she argues, interventions must target root causes rather than just reacting to visible symptoms.

“To effectively address these issues, we must first get to the root of the problem,” she said.

Through the Pathways to Peace Network, Barthelmy-Williams has rolled out a suite of practical, targeted programs to directly tackle these challenges. Current initiatives include one-on-one mentorship matching, interactive leadership development workshops, community peacebuilding education sessions, neighborhood-wide outreach campaigns, and a school-based Peace Ambassadors Program that empowers young people to lead peacebuilding work within their own campuses.

After nearly four decades of incremental development, Saint Lucia’s long-awaited 2025–2030 National Youth Policy has officially come into effect, with government officials and cross-sector partners now moving forward to turn the framework’s goals into tangible improvements for young people across the island. This new policy marks the culmination of efforts that first began in 1987, when the government first explored a dedicated national strategy for youth development, and advanced with an initial draft completed in 2000. The current administration has made youth empowerment a core policy priority, formally approving and launching the full policy framework in 2025.

Speaking to local outlet St Lucia Times at the official launch held at Derek Walcott Square, Youth Development Officer Jonathan Chalon emphasized that the policy is far more than a static policy document—it is a call for collective, cross-agency action to transform young lives for the better. “We’re meeting with all the agencies, both government bodies and non-governmental organizations, so we can map out clear roles to ensure this policy is brought to action,” Chalon explained. “It’s not just a document, but collective action to really change the lives of young people for the better.”

The National Youth Policy is structured around eight core pillars that address the full scope of young people’s lives in Saint Lucia: education and lifelong learning, economic participation, health and well-being, peace and security, democracy and citizenship, information and communication technologies (ICT) and mass media, climate change and disaster risk reduction, and the cross-sector mainstreaming of youth priorities across all levels of government.

Each pillar includes concrete strategies to meet its goals: for education, the policy expands access to both formal schooling and non-formal learning opportunities like mentorship and workshops, with a specific focus on growing technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programs, increasing scholarship access, and strengthening digital literacy. For economic participation, the framework prioritizes youth employment and entrepreneurship through startup grants, job placement support, and targeted entrepreneurial training. It also expands access to mental health and reproductive health services, promotes safe, inclusive communities through violence prevention programming, creates formal pathways for youth participation in governance, builds digital skills for the modern economy, supports youth-led climate action, and ensures marginalized youth groups are centered in all development planning.

TVET has emerged as a key pillar for delivering on the policy’s promises, addressing a longstanding gap in the island’s education system that left many school leavers unprepared for the workforce. Shanez Narcisse-Clipa, TVET Officer within the Ministry of Education, explained that for years, students completing secondary education with Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) qualifications often lacked the hands-on skills needed to enter the workforce immediately. TVET programs solve this gap by offering industry-recognized Caribbean Vocational Qualifications (CVQs) alongside real-world work experience in high-demand fields ranging from graphic design and traditional folk dance to carpentry, construction, crop production, and furniture manufacturing.

While some critics have questioned whether introducing vocational training at the secondary level is too early, Narcisse-Clipa noted that the new policy will expand TVET options dramatically, building on the foundation of new TVET institutions launched across the island in 2023. These programs are designed to equip young people with skills that address critical labor gaps both across the Caribbean region and in international markets, creating meaningful economic opportunities for youth who may not pursue traditional university pathways.

At the launch, young educator Kimdell Eugene highlighted one emerging priority that he hopes the policy will address more explicitly in the implementation phase: public awareness of the opportunities and risks posed by artificial intelligence for young Saint Lucians. Eugene noted that while he had not yet fully reviewed the full policy text, he sees widespread AI literacy as an urgent unmet need. “I think it’s important that more people are sensitised on the challenges that artificial intelligence might pose for students and for young people in general,” he said. “What are the disadvantages, the advantages, the bigger picture, because I can see how it could lead young people down a rabbit hole.”

To ensure the policy stays aligned with its core goals and adapts to evolving youth needs, Chalon confirmed that a formal monitoring and evaluation framework is already in place, with regional support from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which has deployed a technical team to assist with implementation tracking. Cross-sector collaboration is central to this monitoring strategy, with officials working to coordinate youth services across every government department to avoid duplication and ensure all youth can access the support they need. The ultimate goal, Chalon said, is simple: to guarantee every young person in Saint Lucia has equal access to the opportunities and resources they need to grow, learn, achieve their goals, and transition into healthy, fulfilled adulthood.

The official launch event drew participation from government officials, students from local institutions including St. Mary’s College, and civil society stakeholders, with Ministry of Education Minister Danny Butcher joining students for the official kickoff. Department of Sustainable Development staff also briefed attending students on the policy’s climate and environmental components during the event.

A devastating act of gun violence has claimed the life of a 20-something mother of two in the Saint Lucian community of Marigot, multiple local sources confirmed Thursday. The incident unfolded shortly after 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, leaving the small Caribbean community reeling from the sudden, violent death.

Local outlet St Lucia Times was first to confirm details of the shooting, which identified the victim as Joy St Omer. According to initial on-scene reports, St Omer was seated in the driver’s seat of a parked vehicle when a male attacker opened fire on her. She succumbed to her gunshot wounds at the scene, leaving behind a young daughter alongside her second child.

Law enforcement authorities have confirmed that they have launched a full criminal investigation into the killing, but have not yet released any additional details about potential motives, the identity of the suspect, or updates on progress in the case as of Thursday morning.

A key milestone has been reached for the 2026 National Tourism Public Speaking Competition in Saint Lucia, with the official list of finalists now confirmed after a closely contested preliminary round.

Organized under the framework of the Ministry of Tourism’s youth engagement initiative, the preliminary stage drew 25 talented participants from nine secondary schools across the island. Competition organizers described the preliminary round as a dynamic blend of enthusiastic participation and rigorous competitive energy, highlighting that the high level of student involvement reflects strong ongoing interest in the ministry’s goal of cultivating youth awareness and nurturing young student ambassadors for Saint Lucia’s vital tourism sector.

For the first phase of judging, participants submitted pre-recorded video entries showcasing their public speaking skills and perspectives on Saint Lucia’s tourism industry. After a thorough evaluation process by the judging panel, 10 outstanding students were selected to advance to the final competition. The finalists hail from six of the island’s top secondary institutions: St Mary’s College Secondary School, Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School, St Joseph’s Convent, Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School, Soufriere Comprehensive Secondary School, and Castries Comprehensive Secondary School.

The final public showdown is scheduled to take place on July 2, 2026. Beyond bragging rights, the top performer will earn the prestigious ceremonial title of Junior Minister of Tourism, a recognition that puts a young leader at the forefront of the island’s tourism promotion efforts.

To equip finalists with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in both the national final and an upcoming regional competition, the Department of Tourism hosted a specialized preparatory workshop on Friday, May 15. The workshop brought together all 10 finalists and their designated school liaison teachers for targeted training sessions. Attendees received expert coaching to refine their public speaking techniques, deepened their understanding of the structure and impact of Saint Lucia’s tourism ecosystem, and walked through the four core debate and presentation topics that will anchor the final competition.

Organizers have opened the event to public participation by inviting all residents and tourism supporters to watch the final competition live via a free broadcast on Facebook on July 2. The live stream will give audiences across the globe a front-row seat to watch the next generation of Saint Lucian tourism advocates compete, cheer on their favorite finalists, and find out who will claim the 2026 Junior Minister of Tourism title.

In a vulnerable, insightful conversation with St Lucia Times, Castries Mayor Geraldine Lendor-Gabriel has pulled back the curtain on her years-long journey raising Kyan Gabriel, her autistic son, walking readers through the unique hurdles, unexpected life lessons, and hard-won victories that have reshaped her family’s perspective and fueled her child’s extraordinary growth. For Lendor-Gabriel, parenting a neurodivergent child begins with a core shift in mindset: every child is an unplanned gift, and it is a parent’s duty to nurture that gift exactly as it is, rather than trying to force it to fit preconceived expectations.

“You cannot determine what child that you have, but once you are gifted with that child, you have a responsibility to ensure that you will nurture that child in the best way that you can,” she explained, adding that meaningful development rests on three non-negotiable pillars: a child must feel unconditionally loved, gain the skills to function confidently in broader society, and access a consistent, high-quality education that meets their needs.

Lendor-Gabriel identifies wholehearted parental acceptance as the foundational first step for any family navigating an autism diagnosis, paired with intentional outreach to qualified support systems. She specifically credits Saint Lucia’s Child Development and Guidance Centre for the transformative impact it had on Kyan’s early development. When he was young, Kyan was completely non-verbal, but targeted support from the centre helped him make the dramatic transition to communicating verbally – a leap that changed the trajectory of his life.

Developing mutual understanding with an autistic child, she notes, demands intentional patience and sharp attentiveness. Parents must carve out consistent time to learn their child’s unique mode of expression, prioritize adapting communication strategies to fit the child’s needs, and pay close attention to how their child responds to different environments and interactions.

In Kyan’s case, early exposure to learning materials unlocked abilities that many would have never expected. Even when he was still non-verbal, he demonstrated striking cognitive skill: he taught himself to read and write independently, and by 3 and a half years old, he could spell complex words like “xylophone” with ease. Lendor-Gabriel emphasizes that this breakthrough teaches a critical lesson: parents must provide early, consistent exposure to new experiences and learning tools, because it is impossible to know what potential a child holds until they are given that chance. Most importantly, she stresses, a lack of verbal communication does not equal a lack of cognitive function.

Of course, the journey has not been without challenges. Lendor-Gabriel openly shares that Kyan has often faced misunderstanding and judgment from the general public, with members of the community frequently reacting negatively to his behavior and approaching the mayor to criticize her parenting. She reminds other parents going through similar experiences that these harsh reactions almost always stem from ignorance, not malice: “the person does not understand that child,” she explains. She also counsels families to teach neurotypical siblings to practice empathy and patience, encouraging them to respond with compassion rather than frustration when others misunderstand their brother or sister.

One of the most critical pieces of advice Lendor-Gabriel offers to parents of autistic children is to avoid isolating their kids from the broader community. “One of the things you should not do is hide the child,” she says, pushing back against the social pressure that many families feel to keep neurodivergent children out of public life. Instead, she argues, integration is key: autistic children deserve the same chances to interact and grow in mainstream society, because there is no separate “special world” that can meet their need for connection and growth.

Community and institutional support remain non-negotiable for meaningful integration, she adds. Lendor-Gabriel expressed deep gratitude to the educators and institutions that supported Kyan’s journey, particularly those who made his inclusion in the mainstream public education system possible. She describes mainstream education as a core component of success for neurodivergent young people, while acknowledging that accommodations like full-time learning aides are often necessary during a child’s early school years.

Kyan’s journey has culminated in remarkable academic success: he graduated from the public education system with seven O-Levels and took home four subject-specific academic prizes. Lendor-Gabriel attributes this achievement not just to Kyan’s natural ability, but to the consistent, coordinated support between school faculty and family that created the conditions for him to thrive.

Beyond academics, Kyan is a multi-talented musician with a passion for guitar, inspired by iconic Saint Lucian musician Ronald “Boo” Hinkson. Lendor-Gabriel advocated for Kyan to be accepted into a community music program where his talent could be nurtured, opening the door to mentorship and public performance opportunities. Kyan has even written his own song, titled “This Is Me,” which carries a powerful, unapologetic message for autistic people and their advocates: “I’m not broken, I’m just unique.” The song stands as a broader rallying cry for widespread acceptance of all children on the autism spectrum.

Through sharing her family’s story, Lendor-Gabriel hopes to shift public perspective on autism, empower other parents to embrace their children fully, and build a more inclusive society that meets the needs of neurodivergent people across the island.