83
to the outcomes evolving from the implementation of the project. The implementers of the
capacity-building project employed a combination of participatory research and peer education
approaches to mobilise participants from communities to participate in the project and enhance
the delivery of the project outcomes. The participatory research approach is understood as a family of research approaches, behaviour and
methods for enabling people to do their appraisal,
analysis, planning, monitoring and evaluation
(Chamber 2002). Participatory action research,
part of the participatory research approach family, focuses on increasing participants’ voices and
power in the training and research context, while
action research focuses on empowering young
people to facilitate social action to solve problems. The community-based participatory
research approach emphasises the community as
a group of participants that share collective identities and interests to address community challenges (Pereznieto et al. 2011; Stocks 2014;
McNamara and Buggy 2016). Utilising PR
approaches, the project took on a robust capacitybuilding element, working with local young people with limited prior experience on how to
conduct research and CCA initiatives (Pereznieto
et al. 2011).
The Effectiveness of the CapacityBuilding Training
From all accounts, the capacity-building training
project was very effective. An evaluation report
on the training shows that the workshop received
high scores on all assessed criteria. It appears that
one of the critical success factors of the workshop had been the overall level and quality of participation. The participants said that they highly
favoured the theme of the workshop, the quality
of content delivered, its structure and time management. General comments showed that the participants found the workshop to be very
informative as they were enlightened on the
impact of climate change and its attendant problems, particularly concerning small developing
countries.
Seven of the community groups that participated in the workshops prepared project proposals,
which successfully received funding from JEMS
to implement community-based CCA projects in
their respective communities. This is a tremendous
success on the part of the quality provided, where
participants used the skills acquired to prepare
successful fundable projects. JEMS provided the
funding for the projects through funding source
from the US-based Goldman Environment Prize
and the Jewish Community Federation. Young
people utilised the skills learned in training to
mobilise their communities to implement successful bottom-up CCA projects.
Issues Arising from the Training
and Strategies Implemented
to Resolve Them
The decision to develop the projects evolved
from discussions with the youth in SVG on the
impact of climate change after the 2013 Christmas
Eve storm, which killed 13 people and destroyed
over $300 million in housing and infrastructure.
They highlighted issues that prevented them from
achieving their goals (Table 5.1) and identified a
set of strategies to address the problems.
The successful implementation of the CCA
capacity development initiative was based on the
interactions between the JEMS project management team and participants including all aspects
such as the micro-level institutional settings,
local actors and social differences among the target communities with regard to the availability of
resources, access, power dynamics and social
capital (Stachowiak et al. 2016).
The Suitability of the Workshop
Programme as a Youth
Empowerment Initiative
Research shows that the education and training
provided by Caribbean Island states do not equip
young people to meet the current development
needs of the region nor prepare them to meet future
needs (Carter 2008). Young people participating in
The Suitability of the Workshop Programme as a Youth Empowerment Initiative
to the outcomes evolving from the implementation of the project. The implementers of the
capacity-building project employed a combination of participatory research and peer education
approaches to mobilise participants from communities to participate in the project and enhance
the delivery of the project outcomes. The participatory research approach is understood as a family of research approaches, behaviour and
methods for enabling people to do their appraisal,
analysis, planning, monitoring and evaluation
(Chamber 2002). Participatory action research,
part of the participatory research approach family, focuses on increasing participants’ voices and
power in the training and research context, while
action research focuses on empowering young
people to facilitate social action to solve problems. The community-based participatory
research approach emphasises the community as
a group of participants that share collective identities and interests to address community challenges (Pereznieto et al. 2011; Stocks 2014;
McNamara and Buggy 2016). Utilising PR
approaches, the project took on a robust capacitybuilding element, working with local young people with limited prior experience on how to
conduct research and CCA initiatives (Pereznieto
et al. 2011).
The Effectiveness of the CapacityBuilding Training
From all accounts, the capacity-building training
project was very effective. An evaluation report
on the training shows that the workshop received
high scores on all assessed criteria. It appears that
one of the critical success factors of the workshop had been the overall level and quality of participation. The participants said that they highly
favoured the theme of the workshop, the quality
of content delivered, its structure and time management. General comments showed that the participants found the workshop to be very
informative as they were enlightened on the
impact of climate change and its attendant problems, particularly concerning small developing
countries.
Seven of the community groups that participated in the workshops prepared project proposals,
which successfully received funding from JEMS
to implement community-based CCA projects in
their respective communities. This is a tremendous
success on the part of the quality provided, where
participants used the skills acquired to prepare
successful fundable projects. JEMS provided the
funding for the projects through funding source
from the US-based Goldman Environment Prize
and the Jewish Community Federation. Young
people utilised the skills learned in training to
mobilise their communities to implement successful bottom-up CCA projects.
Issues Arising from the Training
and Strategies Implemented
to Resolve Them
The decision to develop the projects evolved
from discussions with the youth in SVG on the
impact of climate change after the 2013 Christmas
Eve storm, which killed 13 people and destroyed
over $300 million in housing and infrastructure.
They highlighted issues that prevented them from
achieving their goals (Table 5.1) and identified a
set of strategies to address the problems.
The successful implementation of the CCA
capacity development initiative was based on the
interactions between the JEMS project management team and participants including all aspects
such as the micro-level institutional settings,
local actors and social differences among the target communities with regard to the availability of
resources, access, power dynamics and social
capital (Stachowiak et al. 2016).
The Suitability of the Workshop
Programme as a Youth
Empowerment Initiative
Research shows that the education and training
provided by Caribbean Island states do not equip
young people to meet the current development
needs of the region nor prepare them to meet future
needs (Carter 2008). Young people participating in
The Suitability of the Workshop Programme as a Youth Empowerment Initiative