New series to inspire region’s youth

The belief is that the new Youth-INSPIRE television series, to be aired from June, 2014, will inspire the region’s youth to either become positive or to be more positive, and to act to create positive changes in their islands.

President of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU), Shida Bolai, told The Grenada Advocate at the Letter Agreement Signing Ceremony with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), held at UN House, “It [the series] will help them [the youth of the Caribbean] to take stock of where they are right now, and know that they can start right now to make that difference, that positive difference in their lives.”

She said, “I think it [Youth-INSPIRE] will encourage positive peer pressure, because the youth, you have to remember... once they see themselves in a positive light, I think it has a ricocheting effect, because it encourages others to want to emulate them.”

Bolai also proposed that through the programme the region’s young people will recognise that they are not facing challenges alone in their territories.

“Yes, because there is a commonality of the challenges that the youth face, not only at the regional and local level, internationally. We in the Caribbean, I think one of the positive things about CBU’s involvement is to be able to share those [their challenges] and let them know that these are the challenges, [these] are real challenges that are experienced by their peers in the region as well, and how they deal with it is very important,” she stated.

Therefore, as the show is broadcasted and transmitted to the CBU’s total cable and broadcast viewership of 1.5 million, with CaribVision available in 22 Caribbean markets, Bolai affirmed, “So the positive role models in this show, I think, will go a long way to highlight that here, there is a positive side.”

Secretary General of the CBU, Sonia Gill, added that, at present, the show is approved for one season containing six to eight episodes, but she said to their partner, UNDP, that they are “open to other seasons”.

Additionally, the hosting of the series will see CBU working with students of the Barbados Community College’s Mass Communication Department through an internship. (KG)