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YOUR QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

FROM THE CARIBBEAN YOUTH ENVIRONMENT NETWORK TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO CHAPTER

ISSUE 1 JAN - MARCH 2013

P1 / WHO IS CYEN?

Get to know more about CYEN

and their work across the

Caribbean in particular Trinidad

and Tobago.

P3 / THE THREE UNSPOKEN TRUTHS

OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Our featured member article from

Ryan Assiu.

P7/ CARIBBEAN ABUZZ WITH PD3M

ACTIVITIES

P3DM stands for Participatory

Three-Dimensional Modelling and

its name describes it perfectly.

P8 / UPCOMING ACTIVITIES

Find out what to expect in the

next quarter. Lots of fun

activities and events!

WHO IS CYEN? Caribbean Youth Environment Network

(CYEN) is a 20 year old regional youth

environmental NGO. It is without a doubt

that this Network is the largest youth

group that represents all Caribbean

islands, with over 600 members across

the Caribbean.

The Network has been active since 1993

and involved in advocacy, environmental

education and capacity building

programs. The Trinidad and Tobago

Chapter, though previously inactive, have

Never doubt that a group of thoughtful

committed citizens can change the world;

indeed it is the only thing that ever has . Margare t Meade

“ ”

ECO LIFE

come out with a bang to remind the country

and the Caribbean that it has the passion,

commitment and is determined to make their

mark in the environmental world.

2012 was a spectacular year, CYEN – T&T

gained the Regional Award for “Best

Managed Project Activity” as well as gained

support from BGtt and It’s Up to

MEnivronmental to educate schools on the

green economy and establish recycling

programs.

The Trinidad and Tobago Chapter continues to

build momentum in 2013 with a new executive

team that has strengthened its capacity and

drive to fulfil its goal in empowering youth to

raise their voices for a more sustainable future.

We are not only active on the local front but

have also participated in International

conferences, such as COP18 in Durban and

TUNZA Youth Environmental Conference in

Kenya.

We stay true to our motto “Unity, Strength

Purpose”.

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Be the change that you

want to see in the

World.

Ghandi

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5 Services given by

WETLANDS World Wetlands Day celebrated February

2nd

, the 2013 theme: Wetlands and Water

Management.

2. HABITATS

Wetlands support large populations of birds,

mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and

invertebrates. The diversity of these

populations gives an indication of the health

of the environment.

1. WETLANDS ARE NOT JUST SWAMPS

Wetlands include coral reefs, mangrove

forests sea grass beds, lagoons and

marshes. Luckily our islands have

representatives of each type of wetland. For

example, the Buccoo Reef, Caroni and

Nariva Swamps, Bon Accord Lagoon to

name a few, all of which are legally

protected areas.

The Three Unspoken Truths about Sustainable

Development Ryan Assiu

The Climate Change debate is a red herring

Regardless of an individual’s belief that humans are influencing the global climate, the fact of the matter is that all scientific data indicates that the global climate is changing. Pointing fingers at who is to blame, or working on mitigation measures won’t change the fact, however, the vast majority of discussion on the issue is centered on those two aspects. A complex system is in motion towards a warmer tomorrow and mitigating human-generated green house gases is as likely to reverse the trend as removing the single straw that broke the camel’s back is likely to fix it. The real discussions should be on how to enhance our build and social adaptive capacity and create resilience in our communities.

The Population Bomb was the low hanging fruit

In the year 1804, the global population reached 1 billion. In 1960 it reached 3 billion and by 1974 just 14 years later, another billion was added. What had previously taken almost 2000 years to achieve occurred within one generation. Since then much has been documented on the threat of population growth and the sustainability of the Earth. Demographers, now estimate that population would stabilize just shy of 9 billion by 2050 due to an ever increasing global population growth rate. Though the additional 2 billion people to our current figure still seems disheartening to those concerned about the Earth’s carrying capacity but it is inevitable, unless unethical methods such as genocide or mass sterilization to be conducted. Thus to ensure a sustainable and socially just

future for all we look at Paul Ulrich’s famous equation: Impact on the Earth = Population x Affluence x Technology. Many believe that human ingenuity will allow us to trump our increasing environmental problems with new technologies – however this is an unwise gamble, when literally the world is at stake. A concerted effort must be made towards reducing the affluence of the global population. An unsavoury suggestion indeed when over consumption is not only the norm but the aspiration of many. Humankind must direct our creative energy to find ways to break the misconception that an environmentally responsible lifestyle is of lower quality that current, wasteful norms. More so, we need to face the reality that changing the world begins with changing ourselves. We must change our behaviour.

Want to know what is No. 1? Continue onto page 5

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3. NATURAL REGULATORS

Wetlands are the fundamental regulators of

water regimes. They also provide many

ecosystem services such as filters for land

based run off as well as erosion control.

4. CARBON SINKS

Acting as a storage for excess carbon these

wetland provide a significant service

especially now during this global warming

period.

5. NATURAL DEFENSES

Wetlands form a protective line of defence

from storm damage and other coastal

hazards by reducing wave friction and

strength. They also protect against coastal

flooding.

MEMBER OF THE

QUARTER

DANIEL ROBINSON

NEW EXECUTIVE ELECTED AND GETS TO WORK! Seen here proud with their leatherback sand turtle at the Matura Beach

Clean Up, from left Khadija La Croix (PRO 2), Petal Brathwaite (Asst.

Secretary), Ezra Bartholomew (V.P.) Kemba Jaramogi (Projects 2), Sharlene

Subit (Gen. Secretary), Channan Patrick (Projects 1), Rianna Gonzales

(President) and Dr. Sharda Maharaj (Adviser), missing Dizzanne Billy

(PRO1).

For the first time in its history, CYEN-TT has voted

amongst the executive to highlight a member

that has stood out from the group. This member

was chosen based on attendance at general

meetings, participation at events, presence on

social media in terms of promoting CYEN and

the environment as well as commitment in

CYEN activities.

We are proud to announce Mr. Daniel Robinson

as the Member of the Quarter January – March

2013!

Congratulations!

IT’S NOT JUST ALL WORK! WE HAVE FUN TOO!

As nature lovers we also take time to enjoy

nature, in all its forms

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Ryan Assiu graduated from the University of the West Indies

with a degree in Environmental and Natural Resource

management and is currently pursuing his MSc in

Sustainable Development & Climate Change at Antioch

University of New England. He works actively with NGOs to

research and develop community currency systems to foster

community resilience and adaptive capacity.

Sustainability cannot be achieved

Sustainability is not a destination. This idea seems to contradict the familiar schematic of sustainable development; the borromean rings where sustainable development is the “sweet spot” between the competing needs of society, economy and the environment. Truely sustainable development is one in which society and the economy aligns with the environment as opposed to being at odds with it. Thus, if we draw a conceptual framework of sustainability; it would not be three separate circles in a triangular fashion – with a small section of each overlapping, but rather three circles directly transcribed unto one another – forming one single circle. Advances in thought in areas such as industrial ecology, biomimicry and cradle to cradle design, bring us closer to this ideal model however we are still far from it and realistically, would never truly get there. Yvon Chouniard, describes it best when he says “Sustainability is a process, not a real goal, and all you can do is work towards it”. Such an ethereal concept is comparable to the Buddhist idea of “nirvana” – a transcendent state of perfect peace and happiness which cannot be achieved but merely strived towards. Therefore one can describe sustainability as a state in which man is in perfect harmony with nature – a state we cannot fully achieve, but merely strive towards.

We at CYEN-TT seek to encourage members and the public

to engage in innovative reuse of materials. In keeping with this

objective, we are very proud to see Ms. Katrina Khan’s

beautiful work of art. Using acrylic, pencil and silver pen she

recycled this piece of Medium- Density Fibreboard (MDF)

Good job Katrina!!!

Continued from page 3

Water History

World Water Day is celebrated on the 23rd March as such here is a little

piece of water history for you.

DID YOU KNOW? The Tobago Main Ridge Forest Reserve is on record as

the oldest legally protected forest reserve geared specifically towards a

water conservation purpose. It was established on April 13th 1776, by an

ordinance which states in part, that the reserve is “for the purpose of

attracting frequent showers of rain upon which the fertility of lands in

these climates doth entirely depend.”

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T URT LE W A T CH IN G

GE N E RA L ME E T IN G

RE T RE A T

Down

1. A plant

3. All members of a species living in the same

habitat

6. An organism which causes dead organisms to

decay

9. An organism that that needs to eat to live

10. Non – living components

13. A meat and plant eater

15. A group of ecosystems of similar

characteristics

FFUUNN PPAAGGEE

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Caribbean Region Abuzz with P3DM Activities Farzaana Baksh

P3DM stands for Participatory Three-Dimensional

Modelling and its name describes it perfectly. It is a

three-dimensional model that is constructed using a

participatory approach – an approach which

ensures that all relevant stakeholders are engaged

in the process. P3DM is ideally a tool for building

resilience of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to

the impacts of climate change. It is used to bring

communities together and empower them to make

decisions that will affect their livelihoods, culture,

heritage and the natural resources found in their

communities.

In October 2012, the phrase ‘P3DM’ became

popular to many Tobagonians. On October 13 2012,

the pilot model in the Caribbean - of Tobago - was

handed over to the people of Tobago. The model

was built by a total of 107 residents of Tobago

including students and volunteers from the island,

elders and invited guests.

The map-making exercise was facilitated by Kenn

Mondiai, from Partners with Melanesians and Kain

Zindapan from the Philippine Association for

Intercultural Development, Philippines. The event

was organized by the Caribbean Natural Resources

Institute (CANARI). In November 2012, the model was

used by the people of Tobago to produce a civil

society agenda addressing climate change issues on

the island. This activity was also facilitated by

CANARI.

The P3DM process has since been replicated in two

other Caribbean countries. In Union Island of the

Grenadines - after much hype and anticipation by the

people of St Vincent and the Grenadines - the P3DM

activity ended in March 2013. In Grenada, the

process ended in April 2013. The activities in these

two Caribbean countries were facilitated by

Sustainable Grenadines (SusGren).

Regional facilitators pose with

the almost completed 3D model

of Tobago. Three of our

members were part of this

team, Farzaana Baksh, Kemba

Jaramogi and Che Dillon.

Taken in October 2012. Photo

credit: CANARI

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BECOME A

MEMBER OF

CYEN

UUPPCCOOMMIINNGG AACCTTIIVVIITTIIEESS

16 – 20 Anva Plaza, E.M.R.

Tunapuna

(868) 739 - 6343

cyen.tt.chapter@gmail.com

www.cyen.org

Also find us on

This four day Expo seeks to showcase environmental products,

services, NGOs and CBOs in a fun and eco-friendly expo showcase.

CYEN-TT will have a booth throughout the event displaying

information as well as items from our upcoming “Upcycling Concept”

project. Volunteers for the days are welcome!!

Sancity Green Expo 2013

Thursday April 25th - Sunday April 28th

10am - 10pm daily

Skinner Park San Fernando

https://www.facebook.com/SancityGreenExpo2013

DATE: Saturday May 18th

TIME: 3:00 – 5:00 pm

LOCATION: Frank Stockdale Building, UWI

AGENDA:

- Welcome

- Overview of San City Green Expo 2013

- Presentation on United Global Shift Seminar

- Upcoming events

- Announcement of 'Member of the Quarter' for CYEN-TT

- Other matters

Send us an email at

cyen.tt.chapter@gmail.com or call 739-6343

for more information

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S A N C IT Y GR E E N E XP O

GE N E RA L ME E T IN G

ONE D A Y T H INK T A N K RE T R E A T

T URT LE W A T CH I ING , GR A N D R IV IE RE

W ORLD E NV IR ON ME NT DA Y

DATE: Friday 24th May, 2013

TIME: 7:00pm – 12:00am

LOCATION: Grand Riviere

COST: $100.00

We will be heading to the highest density beach for nesting leatherback

turtles in the world! It will be an experience so you don’t want to miss

this!! For more information, email cyen.tt.chapter@gmail.com or

contact Channan Patrick or Sharlene Subit at 474-6389 or 732-1164.

DATE: Sunday 19th May, 2013

TIME: 9:00am – 5:00pm

LOCATION: Fondes Amandes Resource Centre

We would like to invite all members who would like to attend. This

retreat is to construct our path forward for the next six (6) months. So if

you have any ideas that you would like to share and would like to be

part of the planning process of the activities in the Chapter, please

indicate your attendance by emailing to cyen.tt.chapter@gmail.com or

see link https://www.facebook.com/events/511082108940485/?ref=3

World Environment Day is celebrated on the

5th June every year. This year there are several

activities for you to take part in:

Green on the Avenue: Friday 31st May @

Adam Smith Square, 4pm – 10pm

Fondes Amandes Community Reforestation

Project – 5th June @ Fondes Amandes St

Ann’s, 10am – 12noon

UNDP Knowledge Fair – 5th June @ NAPPA,

POS, 9am – 6pm. CYEN-TT will be having a

booth here and Sustain T&T will be launching

their new film “A Sea Change”

Becoming a member is simple, just go onto

our website, click on the “Become a

member” tab, fill out the relevant

information and submit.

If you would like further information about

CYEN or you have questions and/or

comments on the newsletter, please contact

us.