During her two-year stint, Ms. Ally will assist CARICOM with integrating the perspectives of young people into national, regional and international policy.

Alisha Ally of the Government Information Service (GIS) has been appointed the new (female) Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Youth Ambassador for Saint Lucia.

The CARICOM Youth Ambassador Program was launched in Saint Lucia in 1993 by the Heads of Government to mark the twentieth anniversary of CARICOM, and was formally instituted in 1994. Since its inception, the Youth Ambassador Program has contributed to increased youth knowledge and awareness of CARICOM issues and priorities, while working towards raising the profile of young people at the national and regional levels.

When asked about her new appointment, Ms. Ally said that she was appreciative.

“I have been involved in the youth movement and the volunteer youth sector for ten years now, and when the position for female CARICOM Youth Ambassodor was advertised I thought it was about time I elevated my level of advocacy and my contribution to the youth movement and so I decided that I was going to apply, and I was quite pleased to have been selected to represent Saint Lucia."                                                                                                                     

Ms. Ally added that she aspires to make a valuable contribution to regional policy.

“I expect it to be a lot of work because CARICOM deals with a lot of policy objectives not just for one country but the entire region, and I am hoping to make a valuable contribution—especially for the youth demographic—to whatever plans and programs that CARICOM already has in place and wants to put in place. I anticpate that the advocacy that I will be engaged with in my new position will not be any different than I have done in other positions. I have always been a strong advocate on various issues that affect our young people because for me all issues are youth issues and we should not just boil it down to certain catorgories like unemployment and crime. I expect to continue advocating and at least I will be able to enact some level of change through the policies and programs of the CARICOM Secreteriat.”

Ms. Ally is the youngest, only female Saint Lucian and the second Saint Lucian after Sir Vincent Flossaic to speak at the House of Lords. She joins (male) CARICOM Youth Ambassador, Charde Desir, as Saint Lucia’s representative on the ambassadorial body.