Our Vision
“The Trinidad Youth Council is a self sufficient youth led organization creating national positive change through providing opportunities for young people to attain their fullest potential.”close
Our Mission
"We are a movement which advocates for sustainable youth development and socioeconomic change through various mechanisms including but not exclusive to training and participation."close
TYC Time Capsule
"An island youth council in Trinidad and Tobago was first established in June of 1949. This youth movement was an extension of an international phenomenon after the second world war to structure youth work in order to cohesively deal with the desires and aspirations of young people in the democratic regions of the world. During the 1970's the Youth Council was forced to redefine its role and focus on the creation of new and increased options for the youth of the country.Over the ensuing years this body went through several re-engineering, reformation and even reactivation processes.
The most recent move to reform the Trinidad Youth Council, after being dormant for over the past ten years, was in the year 1999.
The young people of Trinidad and Tobago have for the most part driven the reformation of the Trinidad Youth Council. The National Youth Policy is indicative of this desire: Indeed in drafting the policy extensive consultations were held with youth across the country. The policy clearly defines the immediate need for a Trinidad Youth Council. Internationally there has been clarion call for increased youth participation in national decision making, thus heralding the necessity for a TYC: This is echoed by both The Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP: Africa, Principles of the Establishment of National Youth Councils) and the United Nations (The United Nations Youth Agenda, Promoting Participation of Young People.)
In October 1999, the Ministry with responsibility for Youth Affairs initiated the reactivation process by hosting youth leaders from across Trinidad and Tobago at El Dorado Youth Camp. It was decided that a youth platform be established which would be representative, participatory, and non-partisan and this youth platform will act as a voice for young people of Trinidad and Tobago.
Between April 2000 and September 2000 it was resolved that management committees be set up on separate islands (Trinidad and Tobago). Thus, in September of 2000 a management committee was elected to oversee the formation of Youth Councils in both Trinidad and Tobago.
On May 12, 2001 and June 9,
2001, the Trinidad Management Committee and the Tobago Management Committee respectively held Youth summits so as to engage young people in charting the way forward to establishing the NYC. The Tobago Youth Summit intended to culminate in the formation of a strategic plan that will ensure that all stakeholders in the reformation process are on the ‘same page’.
The Strategic Planning took place on the weekend of June 9-11th 2001. Out of this exercise came the decision that both Interim Management Committees would formalize their executive before the National Youth Council could be reformed. On December 1, 2001 the Trinidad Youth Council was elected, thus formalizing the process in the Trinidad.
At present the (TYC) has pledges of support from over 150 youth and community based youth groups and young people, with a span from Toco in North East to Icacos in the South West. These youth groups make up our ten (10) District Youth Councils (DYCs) which are at the core of the TYC."
close
