Vincentian author weighs in on weighty global issues at Canada Summit

by Eldonte Samuel

Janielle Browne, an author, poet and teacher at the University of Toronto, was the only representative from St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) at the 2024 One Young World Summit,which took place from September 18-21, 2024.

Browne described the summit as a global gathering of young leaders to discuss solutions to world problems like war; climate crisis; and the rise of artificial intelligence. However, there was a key focus on raising indigenous voices and learning from their sustainable environmental practices.

There were indigenous groups from Ecuador, Panama, North America and other regions. She raised the lack of the Garifuna people, originally from SVG.

“…that was something that I raised to them, and hopefully, we can expect to see some sort of Garifuna acknowledgement in the years to come,” Browne mentioned.

The writer summarised her experience at the summit, which took place in Montreal, Canada, as a mix of positive and thought-provoking moments, but ultimately sees great value in these types of global gatherings to address pressing world issues and empower the next generation of leaders.

“Barbados had a representative that spoke on climate change. That was interesting to me because something like climate change where the Caribbean region is one of the most impacted- I did expect to see more Caribbean speakers,” she said in a telephone interview.

“There were largely North American speakers talking about what we can expect from climate change in the next five to ten years. Meanwhile, the Caribbean is living in the future that they’re describing,” Browne pointed out.

As an artist and writer, Browne had a unique experience at the summit, which was dominated by professionals in such fields as business, law, and medicine. She felt the humanities were not as respected as other disciplines, even though history has shown that writers and educators have a significant impact on society and influential figures.

Reflecting on the summit, she emphasised the importance of these global platforms in creating spaces for diverse voices to be heard and connections to be made.

“I know that we have a culture where l Continued from Back Page
you don’t want to take up too much space, but I also think that young people especially, need to become aware of our potential—the fact that we don’t need a big platform to become change-makers, we can make a change right now with the resources we have.”

She expressed an interest in returning as a delegate next year when the summit is held in Munich, Germany, and is curious to see how the location might impact the experience.

Browne also shared her optimism about the possibility of holding similar summits throughout the region, as discussed with other Caribbean delegates.
She was sponsored to attend the summit by the Carol Shields Prize Foundation, her scholarship sponsor, which supports women and non-binary writers.