British, Canadian High Commission hosts Diplomat For Day for young Barbadians

Young Barbadians aspiring to join the diplomatic services get a chance to be “diplomat for a day” through an annual competition organized by the British & Canadian High Commissions. The participants took to social media to share their progress.

Canada in Barbados and the OECS (@CanHCBarbados), also shared a two-and-a-half-minute video where participating students spoke for a few seconds each, talking about the highlights from the first session on “Diplomatic life”.

The video also featured High Commissioner Lilian Chatterjee and Ambassador Matthew Wilson. It starts with participant Reniece Bonnet who stated that her favourite part of the day was getting to know the students, before they arrived they were given a TED talk to watch which acted as an ice breaker.

Shareida Brathwaite is the second featured participant who expresses her appreciation for Ambassador Wilson sharing a real day in the life of a diplomat with the students, Wilson was present through video chat when speaking to the cohort. Janae Herbert was the third participant to be featured who spoke about enjoying the process of exchanging ideas and creative views with the cohort.

Jayden Morris, the only male participant of the cohort expressed his joy when given the chance to meet High Commissioner Chatterjee. The video shares several images from the session. The point of the competition is to empower the youth of Barbados and create several opportunities for their voices to be heard. The competition was open to all Barbadians aged 16 to 24.

The selected applicants had to record a sixty-second-long video of themselves responding to the question “If you were diplomat for a day, what activity would you carry out to inspire inclusion among Barbadian youth.” In order to get shortlisted for the program.

The winners will be awarded the privilege of spending a day at the embassies of Luxembourg, shadowing high-ranking officials and learning about the day-to-day affairs and workings of a diplomat.

This also demonstrates the strong ties between the three nations; the initiative created opportunities for cross-cultural engagement, knowledge and skill sharing, networking and entrepreneurial opportunities and so forth.

The competition builds on previous initiatives, including High Commissioner for a Day and LeadHER for a Day. The competition includes learning activities about foreign policy, diplomacy, governance, democracy, advocacy, and communications. Staff from the high commissions, governmental, civil society, and international partners facilitate the sessions.

As the journey unfolds, with winners poised to step into the shoes of diplomats at the embassies of Luxembourg, the stage is set for a day of immersive learning and cultural exchange. This commendable effort underscores the enduring commitment of the participating nations to mentorship, cross-cultural understanding, and the advancement of women in diplomacy.