Jeune Street

This is a video Lita and I made together this summer, when we were in Guyana participating in the Youth Can Move the World project run by the Varqa Foundation. Fair warning: it's our first crack at anything video related, so just try to appreciate the amateur feel of the whole thing. The video begins with a slideshow sequence, but it quickly gets into a narrative about the project.

Here's the vision and purpose of the YCMTW:

Youth Can Move the World (YCMTW) is a project of the Varqa Foundation that works to promote youth empowerment at the grassroots through a training program that integrates group study, service and the use of the arts. Youth begin their training at national and local intensive programs, and continue the process of becoming a YCMTW Animator of junior youth groups through ongoing training over the following months.

YCMTW is run and delivered by youth. The central service component of the program is for youth participants (aged 15-25) to lead junior youth groups (ages 11-14) in their localities. The personal transformation experienced by the youth throughout their training is amplified as they contribute to the development of their communities through the education of junior youth. The nature of this transformation is intended to be intellectual, social and spiritual. Youth acquire knowledge of pressing social issues, they involve themselves in the development of their communities, and they engage in reflection on their spiritual condition and personal choices. In turn, the junior youth groups become a focus of activity as youth walk along a path of service and learning with their younger peers in an environment that is encouraging and fosters personal growth.

The goal of YCMTW, therefore, is to raise up a generation of leaders imbued with a feeling of personal responsibility for the advancement of their communities, nation and world. They will be optimistic about the future and possess a sense of purpose about their lives, characterized by high ideals and a desire to be of service to humanity.