On Monday 27th May 2019, Angelina Siew of Form 4H, was very privileged to be the only T&T student nominated to deliver a presentation at the 9th Meeting of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Technical Working Group. This conference was held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from the 11th-13th June 2019.
The theme of the conference was “Youth, Women and Vulnerable Populations Driving Peace and Justice” and such a theme is in accordance with this conference’s aims of addressing some of the key issues faced by those vulnerable groups throughout the region.
For Angelina, this was her second visit to the Dominican Republic as she participated in the school’s cultural immersion programme in the Dominican Republic and Panamá last April. However, her attendance at this regional forum required her to be there in a professional capacity where she was the youngest presenter.
Her opportunity to present finally arose during the first session of this conference on June 12th under the theme of ‘Three Paradigms of Justice: Retributive, Rehabilitative and Restorative.’
Given the astounding round of applause, it was evident that her presentation was well received by the audience. She also received very positive feedback from other fellow participants and attendees who praised her for her confidence as well as the quality and delivery of her presentation.
This experience was indeed an unforgettable and life-changing one for Angelina where she was afforded the opportunity to network with representatives from many countries who shared her interest for helping the vulnerable youth and giving them a second chance for a brighter future. After such an enlightening experience, she is now driven with a strong sense of self-motivation to make a great contribution to this cause in any possible way.
Special thanks to the Principal, Mrs. Carolyn Bally-Gosine and Vice-Principal, Mrs. Karen Bally for their administrative support with approvals required for her attendance at this event. Thank you to Naparima Girls’ High School for sensitizing students about such character-building programmes like these where they learn about the value of community service. A special thank you to Miss Crystal Bastien for her tremendous support and invaluable contribution during the entire exercise.
Angelina Siew, presenting at The Caribbean Basin Security Initiative 9th Meeting of The Technical Working Group on Crime Prevention with its focus on ‘At Risk Youth and Vulnerable Populations in Dominican Republic’ on June 12th 2019. (Photo courtesy Brenda Silverio)
Angelina Siew, representing NGHS at the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative in Dominican Republic
Official conference badge of Angelina Siew
