John Culatto
THREE young people from Gibraltar met with others from remote British islands in the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean to discuss their homelands’ issues.
Anna Grech, Karim Acolina and Jesse took part in the first ever Overseas Territories Youth Summit in London last week held at the Speaker’s House at Westminster Palace.
Delegates from Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Turks and Caicos Island, Montserrat and St. Helena took part in the event.
Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle welcomed the group and gave them his support to their work.
During the day, the young people debated and discussed ways to work together and build relationships between the overseas territories.
The sessions tried to encourage young people in their own homelands to think critically and offer new ideas to their current challenges across the globe.
Economic challenges, environment and climate change, education and civic engagement were the main areas they discussed.
At the end of the day, the delegates adopted a joint communique to their respective governments on possible directions for the future.
The Falkland Islands young representative chaired the summit meetings as its senior member is now the UK’s chair of the overseas territories association.
Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Garcia has been influential in setting up the local participation at the event.
‘Anna, Karim and Jessie have been excellent ambassadors for Gibraltar throughout this Overseas Territories Youth Summit and the UK Youth Parliament,” Garcia said.
“It has been an important opportunity for them to network with like-minded individuals from across the Overseas Territories and experience international diplomacy first-hand.’
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