The early years of CARIFESTA were captured from the Newspaper clippings collection sourced from The National Library of Guyana.  The CARIFESTA collection currently covers information emanating from all the CARIFESTAs held to date.   The Collection is supplemented by contributions from the Directorate of Human and Social Development through its Culture desk which liaises with the various  Directors of Culture in the region and with the Secretariats of the Host Country.

The Collection includes consultants’ and country reports, articles extracted from  magazines, correspondence, press releases, information leaflets, presentations at  Symposia, programmes, various CARIFESTA themes; posters, photographs and  newspaper clippings.

Explore CARIFESTA through the years

These goals serve as a guideline for developing appropriate programme interventions and resource allocations, both at the regional and national level. Goals and targets should be reviewed from time to time to ensure they adequately and effectively respond to the needs and challenges of target populations. Importantly, while achieving the goals and targets of the CYAP, CYAs can help young people achieve their goals through matching the programmes implemented and the policies with their needs.

Strategic Goals of the CYAP

• Goal 1: Educate Youth about regional issues and assist/encourage them to take advantage of an contribute to opportunities under the Caribbean Community’s Programme.
• Goal 2: Integrate Youth Perspectives and encourage youth participation in the Caribbean Community’s Broader Social and Economic Development Systems.
• Goal 3: Advocate for the rights of Young People and contribute to the development and implementation of effective national and regional policies and sustainable programme.
• Goal 4: Promote Caribbean identify and citizenship among Young People.
• Goal 5: Monitor and evaluate the implementation of the CYAP.

Ms Pollard commenced her career in the field of Home Economics, pursuing this endeavour and earning the Teacher’s Diploma from the Glasgow and West of Scotland College of Domestic Science, and also gaining prizes as the Best Child Teacher and for Needlework.

Ms. Pollard later pursued the Postgraduate Certificate Course at the Queen Elizabeth College, London University, in Home Economics related to Community Development, gaining a distinction.

A significant part of her post University years were spent on return to her home land at the Carnegie School of Home Economics as both lecturer and Principal. Her appointment as the first Women’s Affairs Officer at the CARICOM Secretariat opened vast opportunities for her to impact the lives, not only of Guyanese women, but women throughout the Region. With boldness, she accepted the challenge of spearheading the development of a programme for women within CARICOM. The many initiatives and programmes that emanated from the Women’s Desk gave impetus to the process of gender mainstreaming within CARICOM and set the agenda for the integration of actions and policies to benefit women in regional programmes.

Ms. Pollard’s invaluable contribution to women’s development in the Caribbean captured regional attention and earned her several honours and awards in addition to the CARICOM Triennial Award. She has received the 1992 CARIFESTA Award for Women, two national awards, the Cacique Crown of Honour and the Golden Arrowed of Achievement as well as the special award of the Caribbean Association of Home Economists of which she was a founding member.

Her career of service extends to membership of various commissions and bodies with women’s welfare as the primary goal and she is currently Chairperson of the Guyana National Commission on Women. Ms. Pollard was at the helm of a regional project to prepare model legislation for the removal of all forms of discrimination against women which addressed rights of citizenship, inheritance, domestic violence and sexual offences. Significant hallmarks of her career included her contribution to the establishment of focal points in government departments to address the issue of the advancement of women. During her tenure she organised for the creation of Women’s Bureaus in the OECS. Ms. Pollard spearheaded a three-year programme – Management for Development: Effecting Change whose target included senior women administrators. Her illustrious career spans participation in the emerging network among UN specialized agencies, representation at various regional and UN Fora; and the creation of inroads in strengthening relations between governments and non-governmental organizations. She has to her credit two publications on Home Economics which she has co-authored.

A woman of grace and dignity, Magda Pollard is highly regarded by her peers and the wider community. Her continued active engagement in work to raise the level of consciousness about the status of women and to engender necessary reform attests to a deep and unswerving life commitment to creating a better environment within which women would live.

Professor Massiah’s career is characterized by many “firsts”, a fitting testimony to a career hinged on nothing short of excellence. As first female Head of Department at Cave Hill, first Caribbean female Professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences, first female Director in any of the branches of ISER and first head of the Caribbean Office of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), she moved the process of incorporating Caribbean women into the hierarchy of leadership one step further.

Professor Massiah is well known for her seminal research project on “Women in the Caribbean” which was inspired by a recognition of the dearth of data on women in the region, needed to inform development initiatives. Her work in this area has had a profound impact on the establishment of a frame of reference for analyzing and comprehending the issues related to women, their status and development in the region.

As a highly recognized scholar, Professor Massiah was invited to serve on several regional and international committees and boards among which is the Board of Directors of the International Centre for Research on Women and the Advisory Committee of the Population Council on Family Structure, Female Headship and Poverty. In a consultative capacity, she has authored several papers and reports for regional and international bodies such as CARICOM, UNESCO, PAHO and USAID.

In her current capacity as Regional Programme Advisor to the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) based in Barbados, Prof. Massiah has responsibility for 26 countries in the region. The post offers her remarkable opportunities to interface with organization and agencies, government and non-government in furthering her dedicated efforts to create conditions of betterment for the women in her region.

The Government of Barbados honoured the work and lifetime contributions of Professor Massiah by awarding her the Golden Cross of Merit, Barbados’s third highest award in 1998.

A recipient of numerous awards and honours from several countries, international bodies and academic institutions, including Knighthood from Her Majesty the Queen of England, he has served with distinction the people of his nation, the Region and the wider international community in a multiplicity of roles.

His involvement with the movement for a West Indies Federation as Assistant Attorney General marked the commencement of a distinctive record of advancing the process of Caribbean development.

The high esteem with which he is held internationally is evident by his membership of several important International Commissions.
Sir Shridath, as he is known to many, was a Cabinet Minister in the Guyana Government and served as Secretary-General of the Commonwealth for fifteen years.

As Chairman of the West Indian Commission, he functioned as draughtsman for the reconstruction and development of Caribbean society.

In spite of his high international standing and involvement in international affairs, he remains loyal and dedicated to the issues of development in his Caribbean homeland and provided yeoman service as Chancellor of the University of the West Indies and the University of Guyana.

Date of Membership in CARICOM: 1 Aug 1973

Also Known as:Land of Many Waters

Status of Independence:Independent 1966/01/18

Area: 216,970 km2 (83,000 miles2)

Capital City: Georgetown

Population: 800,000 (2013)

Currency: Guyana Dollar

Highest National Award: Order of Excellence (OE)

GDP: EC$7,614Mn (2012)

GDP Growth: 4.6% p.a. 2009–13

GNI: US$3.1bn

GNI PC: US$3,750

GDP per Capita: EC$7, 614 (2012)

Mr. Tyndall pursued studies in philosophy and economics, and public administration at Exeter University and Bristol University, in England, respectively. Prior to joining the Secretariat, he served in several capacities in the public service of Guyana, including as Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Development and Planning, and at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, as Principal Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and as Secretary, Bank of Guyana. He became Minister of Trade and Industry and later, Minister of Agriculture.  

He was seconded to the then Commonwealth Caribbean Regional Secretariat in 1968 as Chief Economist, shortly after the Secretariat was established at Colgrain House, Georgetown, Guyana, completing a tight core of seven staffers.  

He became Deputy Secretary-General and subsequently held the fort, acting as Secretary-General. sMr. Tyndall served as acting Secretary-General until Dr. Kurleigh King was appointed Secretary-General in 1979.