UWI Student Wins CAF´s Essay Contest Ideas for the Future
In his essay, the winner of the contest addresses the economic and social situation generated by Covid-19 and explains how cooperative enterprises and community tourism can help Caribbean countries emerge from the crisis.
From April 1 to May 31, students between the ages of 18 to 29, from Trinidad and Tobago submitted their essays for the third edition of the “Ideas for the Future” contest, organized by CAF – Development Bank of Latin America – and the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago, on the development challenges facing Latin America and the Caribbean in the context generated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The winner in Trinidad and Tobago was Tyler Alexander, a student at the University of the West Indies - St. Augustine Campus. The title of Tyler's essay is "Cooperative enterprises and community tourism as a gateway to social and economic revitalization in the Caribbean after COVID-19".
Gianpiero Leoncini, Representative of CAF in Trinidad and Tobago, said: “As a multilateral institution we wish to reach out to different sectors of society, among which tertiary level students are very important for us. The annual essay contest has provided a wonderful opportunity to interact with future Trinbagonian policy-makers. This year the winner wrote a piece of exceptional quality that makes a relevant contribution to post-COVID recovery strategies in the Caribbean".
Dr. Dorian Noel, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago, commented: “This initiative provided a platform for students to showcase their knowledge and understanding of complex economic issues and articulate concrete solutions. I strongly believe that Mr. Alexander's essay has achieved that objective." He added, “as a country and a society, we need to collect the thoughts and ideas of all individuals and put them to good use to solve our economic problems."
For his part, Tyler Alexander, said: "It took many hours of research and writing, but it was a fantastic learning experience and opportunity to put my vision of the future into something specific, actionable and solution-oriented."
Tyler Alexander will compete among 17 other national winners from Latin America and the Caribbean for the top prizes, including the Guillermo Perry Award for the best essay. The last round of the contest will take place in October, 2021.
CAF's more recent content
Hurricane Beryl: CAF donates USD 800,000 to five Caribbean countries
CAF - Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean - has made donations to Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines to address the effects of Hurricane Beryl.
CAF adds allies to promote a fair energy transition in the region
In a highly relevant event, organized by the Undersecretariat of Finance of the Government of Mexico, CAF - development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, participated in order to continue exchanging ideas for the necessary evolution that multilateral financing for the development in the region.