Barbados: Spice It Up - Sing for Preparedness - song competition launched

"Reaching young people through traditional methods to encourage their voluntary participation in disaster preparedness and response has been a challenge. Therefore, innovative ways of reaching this group which comprises 60% of the population of the Caribbean is necessary. We therefore must find new avenues to increase awareness to achieve action oriented impacts and results that reach the targeted audiences to promote behaviour change. Spice it Up: Sing for Preparedness is a part of this new approach for engagement," said The UNDP Resident Representative, Ms. Michelle Gyles-McDonnough, reports Anguilla News.

Ms Gyles-McDonnough was speaking at the launch of the Spice It Up: Sing for Preparedness, national song competition, which is organized by The United Nations Development Programme for Barbados and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States in partnership with the Barbados Red Cross Society, the Department of Management, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, the Royal Shop and the Barbados Light and Power Company Ltd.

Any Barbadian can take part in the contest by writing a song on either disasters or climate change, and post their demo online at www.barbadosredcross.org, by 1st July 2012.