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This year, there are two of them. Two young students from Saint-Barth who have the onerous task of representing their island within the institutions of the European Union. The youngest, Yago Gréaux, is 21 years old. He knows all about Europe. After growing up in Saint-Barth, Yago lived in Montpellier, Ireland, and is now studying law in Maastricht, the Netherlands. "It's here that the European treaties were founded", he points out, knowing European law inside out. So, when he discovered that he could take part in the Overseas Countries and Territories Youth Network (OCTYN) program, Yago jumped at the chance. "It's an opportunity to get closer to European institutions, to understand partnerships and our relationship with them," adds the student. Aged 23, Astrid Desouches is not aiming for internships at the European Commission like many participants in this program. As she confesses, political language is not really her field. Instead, the finance and consulting student at ESCP applied with a view to re-connecting with her island, which she left almost ten years ago for her studies.
"A solar panel farm, that's not possible here".
The two young people's knowledge of their childhood home was soon put to the test. From October 7 to 11, Astrid and Yago took part in the Climate Finance Forum in Brussels, organized by the public agency Expertise France. In the absence of a delegation of local players from Saint-Barth, the two students found themselves exchanging views with experts and elus from around the world on the difficulties faced by Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) in accessing European funds to combat climate change. In particular, they were able to talk to Expertise France, which was working on a project to install an electric car socket in Saint-Barth, and the Caribbean Development Bank. Yago and Astrid reminded some of the speakers, who described their projects to combat climate change, that not all solutions were applicable on a small island of 21 km2. "With the price per square meter and the lack of space, a solar panel farm, for example, is not possible on Saint-Barth," illustrates Yago. The law student also pointed out that skilled labor for certain renewable energy projects is not always available on the island.
Meeting with the Vice-President of the European Parliament
During their term of office, Astrid and Yago were able to compare the needs of the people of Saint-Barth with those of other OCTs, including French territories such as New Caledonia, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon and Wallis-et-Futuna, as well as Greenland, Curaçao and Saint-Eustache. It makes you realize that in Saint-Barth, we're pretty lucky," confides Astrid. We don't have the same problems as other territories. "For a week, from November 18 to 22, the 25 young people in the OCT Youth Network program were in Brussels. They were treated to an exclusive tour of the European Parliament and themed meetings to learn more about these European institutions. In particular, the young people had the chance to meet Younous Omarjee, Vice-President of the European Commission. The MEP took time out from his busy schedule to answer the many questions asked by the young people in the program, and to enlighten them on the strategic interest of Overseas countries and territories (OCT) for the European Union.
Enriching exchanges
An essential part of the program, this week in Brussels was also organized to enable participants to forge new links. All day long, we talked and learned about each other's cultures," enthuses Astrid. I felt like I'd known everyone for years, and some great friendships were made. "Between meetings and visits, the representatives took advantage of breaks to talk about life in their respective territories. The representative from New Caledonia shared his intimate experience of the riots that shook Nouméa for several weeks, while others debated the question of independence, or the memory of slavery. These exchanges inspired the student to delve deeper into the history of her island, to share it with as much passion as her fellow students. Education, for example, is a subject particularly close to her heart. Astrid would like to provide the young people of Saint-Barth, and their parents, with more information on the range of courses available after secondary school. As for Yago, he plans to set up his own law firm on the island: "I think that if we benefit from an education abroad, it's important to bring our knowledge back to Saint-Barth to move forward together. "
One year on, Valentin Dantec's feedback
Since July, Valentin Dantec has passed the torch to Astrid Desouches and Yago Gréaux. However, the student has not detached himself from European issues. Thanks to his knowledge of the links between Saint-Barth and European institutions, Valentin Dantec has secured an internship with the Collectivité de Saint-Barth, in the energy transition innovation unit. Working alongside Pascal Peuchot, the student of global and European politics helped with all matters concerning cooperation with Guadeloupe, Saint-Martin and even Europe. The student was also responsible for the official visit of European Union representatives to the island. When they arrived, I kissed them goodbye, and the lady from the local authority who was with me got scared," he laughs. But that's because I knew them through the OCT YN network. "European Union representatives were on the island to check on the progress of projects funded by their institution. The goat slaughterhouse has received a grant from the European Union, as has a study on the repopulation of coral reefs. Funding of 2.5 million euros has also been earmarked for the fire station and digital infrastructure, while the ATE has been allocated a budget of 100,000 euros for the study and protection of sharks. To preserve this valuable network, Valentin Dantec has created an association that will bring together all participants in this European program. And even, why not, include all young people from overseas countries and territories, to give impetus to new projects and make their voices heard.
