The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) yesterday handed over
$10M to the Carifesta Secretariat to be used for its edutainment symposium.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony was on hand to receive the cheque from Patrice La Fleur, the UNFPA Liaison Officer-Guyana at a simple ceremony held at the Secretariat.
The donation is to be used for the Edutainment Symposium which is scheduled to be one of the activities geared specifically for youths at the upcoming mega-event.
According to Alfred King, the chairperson of the sub-committee in charge of edutainment, “edutainment is all about using the performing arts to package a message.” He said that the symposium and other edutainment activities will give specific attention to youths.
Dr. Anthony explained that this was the first time that a specific focus was being placed on edutainment as part of the Carifesta festivities. He said that edutainment- entertainment for educational purposes was increasingly becoming more important on the international stage.
He stated that next year there will be a World Edutainment Conference in which the region hopes to be involved. He said that at the edutainment symposium, which will be held during Carifesta at the International Convention Centre, those involved will draft a position paper, showcasing the Caribbean’s stance on edutainment. This Caribbean edutainment confab will be the first of its kind ever held regionally, and the paper produced is to be presented at the world conference next year.
In a brief statement before the handing over ceremony, La Fleur indicated that over the years edutainment has been seen as “an excellent strategy for causing behaviour change.” She identified areas such as crime, drugs and teenage pregnancy as issues often addressed in edutainment forums and as areas in which several positive changes have been seen in various communities.
Meanwhile, Stabroek News was told that a substantive part of the donation will be used to fund the airfare of delegations from five countries: The Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago. The one-day edutainment symposium will be held on August 23 at the International Convention Centre.
