Today’s Sunday Guardian features an insightful reflection from Malik Howard, a student of Trinity College, Moka, Maraval College and participant in the HARCON National Youth Sustainability and ESG (NYSESG) Pilot Project.

In preparing our youth to be future stewards of a sustainable world, the need to communicate and articulate is a critical competency. In this regard, the youth need to be able to communicate intention, information and knowledge in a myriad of areas under the sustainability umbrella.

One of the pillars of sustainability is resilience. Resilience in the face of adversity and circumstances that come at you, and your ability to weather the storms that life throws your way. We live in a world where both the natural and human realms are experiencing increasing levels of stressors, manifesting through climate change, the taxonomy of downstream natural impacts, and socially, the breakdown in value systems and the way we treat and interact with one another. In such a world, is it possible to remain resilient when the circumstances around us seem to collapse?

The NYSESG Pilot Project has been extremely fortunate to have the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) as an in-kind sponsor. Not only has the EMA gone above and beyond in the provision of facilities and support resources for the delivery of the training sessions but have made available key institutional knowledge resources.

Organizing and implementing projects can seem daunting, especially in the realm of sustainability, where potential projects can be vast in scope with widespread impacts. The NYSESG had the benefit of Jason Jack facilitating a session on Project Management, where he effectively communicated and delivered, in a simple yet profoundly clear manner, the tenets of Project Management as they relate to the planning, execution, and management of sustainable and ESG projects—and how these principles apply within the school ecosystem.

The NYSESG participants were enlightened on marine sustainability through a thought-provoking presentation by Dr. Ava Maxam Director of the Institute of Marine Affairs. Participants were introduced to the Blue Economy Revolution, mangroves and carbon sequestration, and blue economy financing & investing in ESG, among other areas.

The NYSESG Project had the honour of hosting Kishan Kumarsingh, Head of Multilateral Environmental Agreements at the Ministry of Planning and the Environment, for a presentation on sustainability and climate change. To say that Kishan’s presentation to the NYSESG participants was eye-opening would be an understatement. He skillfully blended multilateral agreement frameworks with scientific insights and real-world implications in a way that truly resonated with the participants.

Given that the two pilot schools of the NYSESG are male schools, the opportunity to focus on male empowerment naturally presented itself as a must-have module in the training program. The NYSESG Pilot Project was therefore grateful for a presentation and sharing by Mr. David Roberts, Permanent Secretary, MYSA, on some of the key issues and perspectives within the realm of male empowerment. David’s presentation focused on key themes surrounding empowering young men through values-based development, creating sustainable social impact in communities, fostering positive male role models, and aligning youth development with sustainable pathways.

The United World College (UWC) is a global education movement with the mission to make education a force to unite people, nations, and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. The NYSESG had the pleasure of welcoming Danielle Chow and Keren Timara Permel from UWC, who presented on the school, its curriculum, and, most notably, the opportunities for scholarships to attend universities abroad that are aligned with sustainability values. The UWC experience is more than just an "education"; it is a holistic and immersive international experience for young students.