special focus on young people is a crucial investment not only for today but also for the future. In the Caribbean, youth between the ages 10 and 24 comprise 28% of the overall population. Many of the social challenges in the Caribbean directly affect young people, and young people need to play a stronger role in finding the solutions to addressing these, areas such as HIV and AIDS, migration and youth violence.
Youth in the Red Cross add value to the development of humanitarian action at the community level with regard to prevention, education and care of vulnerable groups. They represent a huge untapped resource.
Red Cross in the Caribbean is currently undergoing a process of strengthening youth volunteering in the region by developing a better understanding of the emerging roles of young people in Caribbean National Societies and Overseas Branches to help support NSs/OSBs to meet the following Inter-American Objectives and the Framework for Action as it relates to youth:

Objective 9: Promote leaders with clear strategic vision, encouraging and leading the internal changes and innovations needed to implement the Global Agenda.

Objective 13: Promote active Red Cross youth and initiatives in favour of young people, ensuring effective participation in the institutional life of the National Societies.
In their multiple role as contributors- and acknowledging their skills as innovators, inter-cultural ambassadors and peer-to-peer facilitators - young people are educated, enabled and empowered to be active in leading and participating in voluntary activities and in the governance, management and services of the Red Cross societies. While there are programmes which cater specifically to youth development, it is recognised that young people bring much needed skills when working alongside the increasing numbers of older people in a spirit of mutual respect. This is crucial to the intergenerational transfer of experience that is vital to both progress and stability in society.