Global Changemakers

As a person from outside the Latin America and Caribbean region, attending and peer-facilitating the youth summit has really meant two things to me. I have come to gather the most significant problems in this region, and got to know how inspirational young people are helping tackle these problems. Furthermore, having spent time making new friends and discussing issues with them has allowed me to see problems in Nepal from the Latin America point of view.

Day 5 of the Latin America and Caribbean Youth Summit was used mostly for Skills Marketplaces: the Global Changemakers team came up with some of the skills we thought would be crucial for the participants to be familiar with before heading back to their home countries and taking their engagement to next level. The skills marketplace featured ‘skills-stall’ for Fund-raising, Project Management, Creating successful events (with first hand experience sharing from peer-facilitators), Presentation Skills, Writing Proposals, Using online tools for change, CAPs and RAPs as well as Communications.

The second highlight of the day was the presentation of LACYS sketches. Day 5 featured the final four sketch presentations, which were based on issues that are typical to the region, but those that mostly go un-addressed. It was an amazing experience to see how each of the groups had so different yet effective ideas to present their issues with creativity, and also with the confidence to continue fighting against these problems.

The final highlight of the day was the Festa Junia, or the Junine party (one of many typical Brazilian feasts) where all the Global Changemakers took time to relax and have fun, as well as to celebrate their final day in Teresopolis before heading out to Rio the next day for the final two days of the Summit. 

-Nimesh Ghimire (Nepal)