DAP, in collaboration CICAD, OAS, organised the 1st Caribbean Youth Forum in Barbados from 21 to 25 October, 2019. DAP was responsible for the content, and providing trainers and international youth leaders to conduct the training. The forum served as a pilot training of the newly developed Youth Curriculum.

The main focus of the forum was to promote youth leadership in drug demand reduction by promoting youth-led initiatives. The main objective of the forum was to provide knowledge, skills and strategies to enable young people to develop action plan for prevention initiatives in their respective countries.

Ms Dichen Choden (DAP) was the lead trainer, assisted by DAP trainers: Ms Yvana Theresine (Seychelles) and Dwyane Gutzmer (Jamaica), Ms Isabella Araujo – OAS Programme Officer, 37

Ms Valerie – OAS trainer, Mr M. Husni (Sri Lankan Youth Leader) and 13 pre-selected Caribbean youth leaders. During the five-day forum, 66 participants from 13 English speaking Caribbean countries (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, The Bahamas, and Trinidad and Tobago) attended the forum.

Hon. Adrian Forde, Minister of Youth and Community Empowerment, Barbados and Ambassador Linda S. Taglialatela, U.S. Embassy in Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean, and the OECS graced the opening ceremony as Guests of Honour, which was hosted by Mr Francis MacBernette, Representative of the Secretary General of OAS in Barbados. Ambassador Adam E. Namm, Executive Secretary of OAS/CICAD; Ms Charlotte Sisson, Senior Foreign Affairs Officer, U.S. State Department; and Ms Dichen Choden, Programme Officer, DAP, each represented their organisation and delivered the opening remarks