The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Multi-Country Office in Jamaica has opened a two-month registration window for the 2024 Ready Set Great youth conference in October.

The registration window opened on International Youth Day, on 12 August, with a short movie production, Born To Be Great.

Free in-person and online tickets to Ready Set Great can be accessed from the conference website at www.readysetgreatja.com, leading to the conference date of 17 October, which is International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. 

UNDP Resident Representative Kishan Khoday said the Ready Set Great series is a youth empowerment vehicle creatively designed to position young people who are determined to make a difference in the lives of other young people and their nation.

“We are confident that our partnership with youth and other institutions will bring significant dynamism, creativity and insight to the greatest challenges facing young people. UNDP remains committed to these partnerships with a view to bolstering the social resilience and inclusion of our young people,” Khoday said.

Featuring partners from six youth organizations, the Born To Be Great video which announces the conference, makes the case for another perspective on poverty that is not just about lack of income, but about the combined impact of deprivations in health, education and living standards. Youth partners appeal for youth and youth leaders to register for the conference and to join the advocacy movement for better plans, policies and resources to combat extreme and multidimensional youth poverty. To this end, the 2024 conference will advance youth advocacy on the 2023 Ready Set Great Call to Action on youth poverty.

The conference will mobilise youth delegates to brainstorm Advocacy plans in four key areas aligned with Jamaica’s Vision 2030 Plan for National Development. They are, Youth empowered to achieve their fullest potential; Youth contributing to a safe, cohesive, and just society; Youth accessing the benefits of a prosperous economy; Youth contributing to and championing a healthy, natural environment.

Key features of the conference designed to support delegate ambitions for career, business or social enterprise are also highlighted by the youth partners, including masterclasses, a career and business launchpad and motivational talks. 

The international Youth Day message, Born to Be Great, which champions the significant potential of young people to tackle the greatest challenges of our time, will air on all UNDP social media channels. The youth messengers are, Anni-vee Moore, Young Women/Men of Purpose (YWOP/YMOP); Nevile Charlton, Youth Inspiring Positive Change JA Ltd; Christina Williams, Youth Activist; Jénine Shepherd, Youths For Excellence Ltd; Shamar Wedderburn, Equipped To Speak; Jhannel Tomlinson, Caribbean Youth Climate Justice Coalition; and Tavoy Barrett, Jamaica Union of Tertiary Students. Institutional partners on the Steering Committee are Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) and Vision 2030 Jamaica Secretariat, Sir Arthur Lewis Institute for Social and Economic Research (SALISES), and Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF).